sooner or later

adverb

: at some uncertain future time : sometime

Examples of sooner or later in a Sentence

sooner or later, the police are going to track down the burglar

Recent Examples on the Web There is much that is uncertain, but one thing seems sure: the contest between democracy and authoritarianism in Venezuela most likely will now be determined not by a vote but, sooner or later, by force. —

Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2024 What happens next, in other words, is what should have happened months ago, and what had to happen sooner or later. —

David Von Drehle, Washington Post, 21 July 2024 Meanwhile, the threat of bird flu looms, a reminder that another pandemic will come sooner or later. —

Dylan Scott, Vox, 1 July 2024 With three months to go before the 2024 regular season kicks off, USA TODAY Sports' Nate Davis named 11 more players who need to get paid sooner or later. —

Jim Reineking, USA TODAY, 10 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for sooner or later

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sooner or later.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1577, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of sooner or later was in 1577

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Sooner or later.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sooner%20or%20later. Accessed 22 Sep. 2024.

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