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Synonyms
Examples of before long in a Sentence
the painters ought to be done before long
Recent Examples on the Web
But before long, the crackdown on independent reporting began in earnest.
—Vivian Wang, New York Times, 13 May 2024
But before long there were also scientific references to keystone herbivores, keystone plants, keystone pollinators, even keystone pathogens.
—Lesley Evans Ogden, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 May 2024
Middleton said crews usually buy personal toiletries and snacks before long trips.
—Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 26 Mar. 2024
Other automakers dismissed the car as a curiosity, but the Prius was a hit, and before long G.M., Ford and others developed their own hybrids.
—Neal E. Boudette, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2024
The couple tended to the flowers over the next few weeks, and before long, green shoots began to sprout, followed by budding flowers.
—Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 27 Feb. 2024
Soltani hopes the impasse will end before long and said the challenge will be creating a safe space for differing perspectives while providing context for a conflict that has raged off and on for seven decades.
—Marc Ramirez, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
But before long the word acquired a secondary meaning, designating a rupture that renders everything utterly different.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024
Louis and Peggy were married, and before long were living on Long Island with two little girls, first Cinthea, and then Candice, born in 1950.
—Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'before long.' 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
1585, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near before long
Cite this Entry
“Before long.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/before%20long. Accessed 23 May. 2024.
Kids Definition
before long
adverb
: in the near future : soon
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