after hours

1 of 2

phrase

: after the regular quitting or closing time

after-hours

2 of 2

adjective

af·​ter-hours ˌaf-tər-ˈau̇(-ə)rz 

: engaged in or operating after a legal or conventional closing time

after-hours drinking

an after-hours club

Examples of after hours in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Phrase

However, the 16th century relic didn’t open after hours of painstaking trial-and-error. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 4 Nov. 2026

Police said in a statement that the Suisun City resident had previously been arrested, sentenced and released in connection with a separate shooting that took place in 2025 in the parking lot of a local high school after hours. — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2026

Adjective

His only after-hours option, according to the menu, was to call the police. — Téa Obreht, New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2026

Intel’s fourth-quarter sales projections also disappointed markets, pushing its stock down 20% in after-hours trading. — Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Phrase

1781, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1892, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for after hours

• devours
• empowers
• sunflowers
• bowers
• flours
• flowers
• gowers
• ours
• scours
• showers
• sours
• towers