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
NextEra sees Duane Arnold restarting operations by the fourth quarter of 2028 at the earliest, according to FERC filings.
—
Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2025
The agency began issuing overpayment notices on April 25, 2025 and would start withholding 50% of the recipient's benefits after about 90 days (or approximately July 24, at the earliest), until the overpayment is repaid.
—Mike Snider, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2025
For tech businesses, this often means starting with a product that can be developed and taken to market quickly, enabling the company to begin pulling in revenues at the earliest possible moment.
—Trevor Clawson, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
On Thursday, Alexander Wilson of Empire Sports Media urged the Yankees to name Jose Caballero their starting shortstop over Volpe at the earliest possible opportunity.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for at the earliest
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Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2025
The agency began issuing overpayment notices on April 25, 2025 and would start withholding 50% of the recipient's benefits after about 90 days (or approximately July 24, at the earliest), until the overpayment is repaid.
—Mike Snider, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2025
For tech businesses, this often means starting with a product that can be developed and taken to market quickly, enabling the company to begin pulling in revenues at the earliest possible moment.
—Trevor Clawson, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
On Thursday, Alexander Wilson of Empire Sports Media urged the Yankees to name Jose Caballero their starting shortstop over Volpe at the earliest possible opportunity.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for at the earliest
Cite this Entry
“At the earliest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/at%20the%20earliest. Accessed 5 Sep. 2025.
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