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.
And before long the book was mostly completely new material. Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025 And, before long, beer was flying and Blue Jays were pouring onto the field to celebrate the win. Joe Kozlowski, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025 The 20-year-old is currently around Spurs’ first-team squad, covering for long-term injury absentee Radu Dragusin, but will likely head out on loan before long. Tim Spiers, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025 Ophelia is driven to madness after the murder of her father and flaky romantic advances from Hamlet, and before long, takes her own life. Jaeden Pinder, Pitchfork, 3 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 29 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

before long

adverb
: in the near future : soon

More from Merriam-Webster on before long

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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