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
Those cases are at the earliest stages.
—
Gene Maddaus, Variety, 19 Feb. 2026
The commission was set to review the project's final design before taking their final vote, which would have been -- at the earliest -- during their next meeting scheduled for March 19.
—Fritz Farrow, ABC News, 19 Feb. 2026
At current levels, any expansion in the US herd would at the earliest make it to the retail counter in 2028, keeping beef prices elevated for longer, said Don Close, a senior animal protein analyst at Terrain Ag.
—Bloomberg Wire, Dallas Morning News, 18 Feb. 2026
That sounds like a 2029 debut at the earliest for the brand’s prospective halo product.
—Adam Ismail, The Drive, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for at the earliest
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Gene Maddaus, Variety, 19 Feb. 2026
The commission was set to review the project's final design before taking their final vote, which would have been -- at the earliest -- during their next meeting scheduled for March 19.
—Fritz Farrow, ABC News, 19 Feb. 2026
At current levels, any expansion in the US herd would at the earliest make it to the retail counter in 2028, keeping beef prices elevated for longer, said Don Close, a senior animal protein analyst at Terrain Ag.
—Bloomberg Wire, Dallas Morning News, 18 Feb. 2026
That sounds like a 2029 debut at the earliest for the brand’s prospective halo product.
—Adam Ismail, The Drive, 18 Feb. 2026
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 22 Feb. 2026.
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