1
as in delayed
not arriving, occurring, or settled at the due, usual, or proper time
I ran as fast as I could, but was still late for class
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in former
having been such at some previous time
the late musical director said he would never have allowed such behavior while he was in charge
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in fallen
no longer living
our late granduncle remembered us in his will
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in advanced
being far along in development
late impressionism gave rise to pointillism
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in later
after the due, usual, or proper time
she has a habit of arriving late for everything
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lately
not long ago
the actress, late of New York but now of Los Angeles, is being eagerly sought for film roles
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of late
Kelsey Stewart, Footwear News, 29 Oct. 2025
Tulip bulbs are usually classified as early, mid-, or late season.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Oct. 2025
Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
Using just two of the machines late one evening, slush in the area was gone by the next morning.
—Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for late
Adjective
In late August, the model gave The Row’s celebrity-favorite black City flip-flops — which are loved by fellow models Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber — her stamp of approval.
—Kelsey Stewart, Footwear News, 29 Oct. 2025
Tulip bulbs are usually classified as early, mid-, or late season.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Oct. 2025
Adverb
October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and experts say now is the time to raise public attention for a disease that is difficult to detect, underrepresented in research and often either misdiagnosed or found late.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
Using just two of the machines late one evening, slush in the area was gone by the next morning.
—Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for late
Recent Examples of Synonyms for late
Adjective
-
The delayed sentencing hearing is set for April 15 in the circuit court.—
Christina Hall,
Freep.com,
22 Oct. 2025
-
How to Protect Your Luggage From Bed Bugs From delayed flights to lost luggage, travel is already anxiety-inducing enough without adding these pervasive pests to the mix.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
And importantly, Timor-Leste’s ASEAN membership is an affirmation of its sovereignty, putting it in equal standing with its former occupier, Indonesia, within the regional bloc.—
Angelica Ang,
Fortune,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Shared soap opera experience wasn't the only thing Vergara had in common with former Days of Our Lives actress and current Selling Sunset star Chrishell Stause.—
Jillian Sederholm,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The researchers found the pathogens — Salmonella enterica and Borrelia recurrentis, bacteria that cause paratyphoid fever and relapsing fever, respectively — by analyzing teeth from the fallen soldiers who were found in a mass grave uncovered in 2001 in Vilnius, Lithuania.—
Taylor Nicioli,
CNN Money,
24 Oct. 2025
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Carruth often begins with a small image, such as a fallen pearl or a misplaced wand, and lets the story unspool from emotion.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
At the crux of those tensions are a gaping trade imbalance and efforts from the US to ensure its national security against an increasingly assertive China, including by expanding restrictions on China’s access to American high tech, like the advanced semiconductors needed to power AI.—
Betsy Klein,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
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The mill applies advanced finishing, weaving and stabilization techniques that turn denim into a fine-arts-compatible textile.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
30 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Not only have debit and credit card payments become more popular with Gen Z, but so have buy-now, pay-later (BNPL) services.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
1 Nov. 2025
-
That child was later placed for adoption.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
But lately, some patients have had difficulty with this device.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
-
The Bills are coming off a bye and are on the road, against veteran backup QB Andy Dalton and the Carolina Panthers, but Buffalo hasn’t looked like itself lately, losing two straight entering Week 8.—
Jeff Howe,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
China, meanwhile, is living with the long shadow of its one-child policy, which was eased to a two-child rule in 2016 and then to a three-child policy in 2021 in a belated push to boost births.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
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Joy speaks at length about growing up in a culturally sophisticated yet oppressive family and holding her artistic temperament in check, before achieving a belated liberation.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Estimates based on a family with two 40-year-old parents with two children, 10 years and 5 years old.—
Berkeley Lovelace Jr,
NBC news,
31 Oct. 2025
-
So long as that situation continues, the 43-year-old’s allegedly arrogant and stand-offish treatment of his players will not worry the club hierarchy too much.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Late.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/late. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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