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 Trump administration has suggested dismantling the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the federal department tasked with responding to major disasters — but not until the end of hurricane season, which officially ends Nov. 30.
—
Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 24 June 2025
As for whether the teams care, the answer is no — not until next week, anyway.
—Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 21 June 2025
No one did, not until the final race of Thursday’s Class 3A state meet at St. Michael-Albertville.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 13 June 2025
But not until April 15, when Shane Goldmacher of The New York Times reported that the PAC could spend money on primary challengers, did this explode into a controversy.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for not until
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Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 24 June 2025
As for whether the teams care, the answer is no — not until next week, anyway.
—Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 21 June 2025
No one did, not until the final race of Thursday’s Class 3A state meet at St. Michael-Albertville.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 13 June 2025
But not until April 15, when Shane Goldmacher of The New York Times reported that the PAC could spend money on primary challengers, did this explode into a controversy.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 12 June 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 5 Jul. 2025.
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