at the earliest

idiom

—used to indicate the earliest possible time when something will happen or be done

The job will not be finished until next year at the (very) earliest.

Examples of at the earliest in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The winner will not be known by the Department of Finance and Administration, which runs the Arkansas lottery, until Monday at the earliest, Reynolds said, because the winner will need contact the Arkansas Lottery Claims center, which is closed for the holidays until then. —Rafael Escalera Montoto, Arkansas Online, 25 Dec. 2025

While the series has been lost at the earliest opportunity and in a joint-record time of just 11 playing days, a 3-2 series defeat would look very different to 5-0, not least for the thousands of England fans who have paid a lot of money to come out and support the team in another losing cause. —Tim Spiers, New York Times, 21 Dec. 2025

The administration added that it was not legally bound to confer with either board and that above-ground ballroom construction would begin in April at the earliest. —Arden Farhi, CBS News, 16 Dec. 2025

That may amount to an extended pause for Lexus F cars, with the second-generation LFA unveiled in December and not likely to see deliveries by 2027 at the earliest. —Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 15 Dec. 2025