not until
idiom
: not before
Not until you finish your homework can you go outside.
When you finish your homework you can go outside, but not until then.
Examples of not until in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There also was little pushback from the church in Rome: not until the late 1880's, Murphy said, would the Pope definitively declare slavery to be morally wrong.
—
Marc Ramirez, USA TODAY, 17 Feb. 2025
And then there was another caution in overtime — but not until Love had received the white flag.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 16 Feb. 2025
But not until after working for 13 months in Durham for a software development company, eTeleNext.
—Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2025
Check back later this weekend (or maybe not until Monday, even) for the latest Happy’s Place and Shark Tank numbers, and to see how NBC’s Lopez vs. Lopez Season 3 finale fared.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 8 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for not until 
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Marc Ramirez, USA TODAY, 17 Feb. 2025
And then there was another caution in overtime — but not until Love had received the white flag.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 16 Feb. 2025
But not until after working for 13 months in Durham for a software development company, eTeleNext.
—Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2025
Check back later this weekend (or maybe not until Monday, even) for the latest Happy’s Place and Shark Tank numbers, and to see how NBC’s Lopez vs. Lopez Season 3 finale fared.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 8 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for not until
Dictionary Entries Near not until
Cite this Entry
“Not until.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/not%20until. Accessed 20 Feb. 2025.
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