the whole time

noun

1
: since something began : during the entire period of time
The police knew the whole time who was guilty.
2
British : at all times : always
You can't be right the whole time.
3
British, informal : very often
My sisters and I used to fight the whole time.

Examples of the whole time in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Don’t be a dumba— and run wide open the whole time. Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026 Because spoiler alert, the biggest clue has been right in your face the whole time. Michael Schneider, Variety, 12 Mar. 2026 By the way, Travis Kelce was making faces at Jason Kelce’s daughter the whole time. Bethy Squires, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2026 The game wasn’t a blowout the whole time against the worst team in the conference. Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for the whole time

Cite this Entry

“The whole time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20whole%20time. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster