How to Use by the time in a Sentence

by the time

phrase

• Both teams could well be in the playoffs by the time this one kicks off.
  — Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic, 1 Jan. 2024
• Now it’s been seemingly pulled there by the time and tides.
  — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
• The home crowd followed by the time the fourth quarter rolled around.
  — Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2025
• But by the time the crew got to the beach, the rain and clouds gave way to a shining sun.
  — Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 4 Apr. 2024
• May was gone by the time the Dodgers got the lead back in the fifth inning.
  — Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 28 June 2025
• But by the time the fans had hoisted their flags, the sport had already been stolen.
  — Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 11 Aug. 2023
• Cundiff may be a local celebrity by the time of his next set.
  — Madeline King, Chicago Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026
• The director was beaming with pride by the time his cast signed on.
  — Kevin Cassidy, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
• The barista was already filming by the time the car reached her window.
  — Daniel Kolitz, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
• The group was hustling to have her house livable by the time the baby comes.
  — Nora O’Neill, Charlotte Observer, 14 Jan. 2025
• The stadium was just about full by the time Carlile reached her last song.
  — Joshua Medintz, The Enquirer, 27 July 2023
• The suspect had fled by the time police arrived.
  — Marco Cummings, Denver Post, 18 Oct. 2025
• The other waits six years, and by the time the slower one moves, the gap is too wide to close.
  — Kerry Huang, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
• But by the time this post came, the numbers were already in the millions.
  — The Ai Insider, Interesting Engineering, 26 Jan. 2026
• Thomas agreed to the contract and was healthy by the time spring training arrived.
  — Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 21 Feb. 2026
• Half the country was in bed by the time our show came on — probably more than half.
  — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 25 Oct. 2025
• The sun had fallen and lightning flashed in the east by the time the vote happened.
  — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 11 Mar. 2026
• The hope was that a deal was going to get done by the time Week 1 rolled around.
  — James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
• The Spaniard was with her two children by the time she was told the bronze medal would not be hers.
  — Jamie Barton, CNN, 20 Sep. 2024
• They were gone by the time officers arrived.
  — Jason Green, Mercury News, 23 Oct. 2025
• But don’t worry, by the time they’re gone, there’ll be another new treat to try.
  — Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2026
• He’ll be gone by the time those negotiations come to a head this fall.
  — Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 2 Aug. 2024
• He also was gone by the time the media got to the clubhouse after the game.
  — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Sep. 2025
• The suspect had already ran from the area by the time police arrived.
  — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2026
• Penta was in the middle of his comeback by the time Raw came back from break.
  — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
• That hand must have ached profoundly by the time the group departed.
  — Harold Holzer, New York Daily News, 8 Feb. 2026
• The 2025 silly season was revving hot by the time he was let go.
  — Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 9 July 2026
• Yet by the time the car was finished, applications had closed.
  — Howard Walker, Robb Report, 3 July 2026
• Both Ahmed and Suhail were living in Dubai by the time the charges came down.
  — Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 16 July 2026
• But by the time Gacy was caught, Myers had already cut him out of their lives.
  — Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 19 Oct. 2025