in the meantime
idiom
1
: during the time before something happens or before a specified period ends
The new computers won't arrive until next week, but we can keep using the old ones in the meantime.
2
: while something else is being done or was being done
She spent four years studying for her law degree. In the meantime, she continued to work at the bank.
Examples of in the meantime in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Any ideas on how to stop the comments in the meantime?
—
Judith Martin, Mercury News, 1 Dec. 2025
Yasmina came home in the meantime, and her mother decided to stay with her in Queens.
—Joan Silber, New Yorker, 30 Nov. 2025
But in the meantime, the Reddit user’s birthday—which is right before Thanksgiving—passed with only one text.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 27 Nov. 2025
Max tells him yes; in the meantime, Nathan goofs off for half a second with Kizzi and Joe in the galley.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in the meantime
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Judith Martin, Mercury News, 1 Dec. 2025
Yasmina came home in the meantime, and her mother decided to stay with her in Queens.
—Joan Silber, New Yorker, 30 Nov. 2025
But in the meantime, the Reddit user’s birthday—which is right before Thanksgiving—passed with only one text.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 27 Nov. 2025
Max tells him yes; in the meantime, Nathan goofs off for half a second with Kizzi and Joe in the galley.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in the meantime
Cite this Entry
“In the meantime.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20the%20meantime. Accessed 4 Dec. 2025.
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