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before long

adverb

: in the near future : soon

Examples of before long in a Sentence

the painters ought to be done before long
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Nangaa assured me that the war would be won before long. Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025 That solution held sway until Fox was pushed into the rotation in 2018; before long, nobody on the linear TV side had much use for the Thursday games, and the NFL sold the package to Amazon. Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 21 Nov. 2025 But before long, Ben’s parents return with threats and manipulation, throwing the new life Ben has built into question. Eric Andersson, PEOPLE, 5 Nov. 2025 Mehdiyev was taken into custody, and before long the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was demanding return of its money. Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for before long

Word History

First Known Use

1585, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of before long was in 1585

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Before long.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/before%20long. Accessed 30 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

before long

adverb
: in the near future : soon

More from Merriam-Webster on before long

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