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
And by the time leaders act, threats frequently become too large to reverse.
—
Robert Pearl, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Redick is hopeful that Ayton was just poked in the eye and will be back by the time the Lakers play the Clippers at Intuit Dome on Thursday.
—Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
Snow possible on Wednesday Places north of I-80 should expect to see an additional three to five inches of snow on the ground by the time the sun comes up on Thursday morning.
—Ron Smiley, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
Affleck and Damon were just beginning to make their film debuts in movies like 1992's School Ties by the time Phoenix died.
—Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for by the time
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Robert Pearl, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Redick is hopeful that Ayton was just poked in the eye and will be back by the time the Lakers play the Clippers at Intuit Dome on Thursday.
—Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
Snow possible on Wednesday Places north of I-80 should expect to see an additional three to five inches of snow on the ground by the time the sun comes up on Thursday morning.
—Ron Smiley, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
Affleck and Damon were just beginning to make their film debuts in movies like 1992's School Ties by the time Phoenix died.
—Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026
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 22 Jan. 2026.
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