as in eventually
at a later time
sooner or later, the police are going to track down the burglar
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Recent Examples of sooner or later
Like many in the auto industry, Sonic Automotive is warning that sooner or later, prices will rise or automakers will start cutting features to stabilize costs.
—
Robert Ferris, CNBC, 24 Feb. 2026
If the club can continue the deep playoff runs, sooner or later, the Oilers will cash the sixth Stanley Cup win in franchise history.
—Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026
Every President, sooner or later, misbehaves.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2026
China has put paid to the idea — long cherished among Western political theorists — that only free minds in open societies can truly innovate, and that, sooner or later, authoritarian regimes like China’s will stall out.
—Andy Browne, semafor.com, 19 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sooner or later
Robert Ferris, CNBC, 24 Feb. 2026
If the club can continue the deep playoff runs, sooner or later, the Oilers will cash the sixth Stanley Cup win in franchise history.
—Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026
Every President, sooner or later, misbehaves.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2026
China has put paid to the idea — long cherished among Western political theorists — that only free minds in open societies can truly innovate, and that, sooner or later, authoritarian regimes like China’s will stall out.
—Andy Browne, semafor.com, 19 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sooner or later
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sooner or later
Adverb
-
The brothers, who used to work in the insurance industry, then started approaching owners to purchase the warehouses in 2016, eventually acquiring about 10 buildings.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
25 Mar. 2026
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But Apple shut down Dark Sky in 2023, prompting an online outcry, and Grossman eventually left out of frustration with Apple’s sluggish corporate schedule of annual software updates.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
25 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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Some Iranian Americans hope this war will finally break the regime.—
Laurie Perez,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
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In the process, the Bulls refused to shut down players such as center Jalen Smith, who finally was shut down for the season this week after reaggravating a calf injury once again in Wednesday’s game.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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Aaron said that incorporating a method of moderation or verification—such as the voting system in Waze—would have required collecting user data that might someday fall under a subpoena.—
Oriana van Praag,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2026
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With hopes that the money will someday be used for good.—
Mikey O'Connell,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sooner or later.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sooner%20or%20later. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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