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
But by the time commissioners cast their final budget votes in September, the mayor and commission had rolled back most of the austerity measures with a mix of one-time revenues and other stopgap measures.
—
Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 2026
The first plant would open in 2030, and by the time the fourth is finished, which Micron expects in 2045, the entire site would employ 9,000 people in high-paying roles, the company has said.
—Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 7 Jan. 2026
But an unexpected rain squall hit and by the time Lavis and Szczerbowski returned, the prop was warped out of shape.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 6 Jan. 2026
Bujor had fled the scene by the time police arrived, but officers quickly found him at his school bus parked nearby — with some help from Homrod.
—Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for by the time
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Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 2026
The first plant would open in 2030, and by the time the fourth is finished, which Micron expects in 2045, the entire site would employ 9,000 people in high-paying roles, the company has said.
—Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 7 Jan. 2026
But an unexpected rain squall hit and by the time Lavis and Szczerbowski returned, the prop was warped out of shape.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 6 Jan. 2026
Bujor had fled the scene by the time police arrived, but officers quickly found him at his school bus parked nearby — with some help from Homrod.
—Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 6 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 11 Jan. 2026.
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