not until
idiom
: not before
Not until you finish your homework can you go outside.
When you finish your homework you can go outside, but not until then.
Examples of not until in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Buckeyes have been one of the best teams in the country all season, losing only once (and not until the Big Ten title game).
—
Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 31 Dec. 2025
The next presidential election is not until 2028, but speculation is already swirling about who might make a run for the Oval Office.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 30 Dec. 2025
Nope, not until the clogging process is very advanced, reaching approximately 80% in an artery (only a 20% opening).
—Bryant Stamford, Louisville Courier Journal, 25 Dec. 2025
Three minutes, maybe, and honestly, not until the very end.
—Mike Miller, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for not until
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Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 31 Dec. 2025
The next presidential election is not until 2028, but speculation is already swirling about who might make a run for the Oval Office.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 30 Dec. 2025
Nope, not until the clogging process is very advanced, reaching approximately 80% in an artery (only a 20% opening).
—Bryant Stamford, Louisville Courier Journal, 25 Dec. 2025
Three minutes, maybe, and honestly, not until the very end.
—Mike Miller, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for not until
Cite this Entry
“Not until.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/not%20until. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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