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 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
Tommy John surgery recipients typically need 12 to 18 months to recover, a timeline that would have Steele on track to return in April 2026 at the earliest (and next October at the latest).
—Jon Paul Hoornstra, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
But this week’s withdrawal doesn’t address a critical funding gap outlined in the original lawsuit, which said the grants were now on track to be delivered by May 1, 2026, at the earliest instead of right after the start of the new year.
—Austin Hornbostel, Nashville Tennessean, 8 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for at the earliest
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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
Tommy John surgery recipients typically need 12 to 18 months to recover, a timeline that would have Steele on track to return in April 2026 at the earliest (and next October at the latest).
—Jon Paul Hoornstra, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
But this week’s withdrawal doesn’t address a critical funding gap outlined in the original lawsuit, which said the grants were now on track to be delivered by May 1, 2026, at the earliest instead of right after the start of the new year.
—Austin Hornbostel, Nashville Tennessean, 8 Dec. 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 19 Dec. 2025.
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