by the time
idiom
: at the time : when
I had lived in 12 different cities by the time I turned 18.
By the time she showed up, I was finished eating.
Examples of by the time in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The assailants had already fled by the time police arrived.
—
Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2025
Much of the heavy lifting of discovery and even testing had been done by the time the Biden and Trump Administrations spent over $30 billion to develop, purchase and distribute the vaccines.
—Alex Knapp, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
When the Royals originally moved, teams were selling for $1 or $2 million; by the time Blitzer executed the option in 2023, the league was already running an expansion process that ultimately secured fees of $53 million.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 28 Mar. 2025
And the Red Wings looked flat in the second period, with Ottawa quickly stretching a two-goal lead to three and making an already uphill battle seem nearly insurmountable by the time the third period began.
—Max Bultman, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for by the time
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Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2025
Much of the heavy lifting of discovery and even testing had been done by the time the Biden and Trump Administrations spent over $30 billion to develop, purchase and distribute the vaccines.
—Alex Knapp, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
When the Royals originally moved, teams were selling for $1 or $2 million; by the time Blitzer executed the option in 2023, the league was already running an expansion process that ultimately secured fees of $53 million.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 28 Mar. 2025
And the Red Wings looked flat in the second period, with Ottawa quickly stretching a two-goal lead to three and making an already uphill battle seem nearly insurmountable by the time the third period began.
—Max Bultman, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for by the time
Cite this Entry
“By the time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/by%20the%20time. Accessed 6 May. 2025.
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