before long

adverb

: in the near future : soon

Examples of before long in a Sentence

the painters ought to be done before long
Recent Examples on the Web Fast-fashion chains like Zara and H&M peddled unisex pantomimes of these skinny upmarket styles, and before long, so did mass-retail behemoths like Old Navy and Target, signaling and consolidating small pants’ grip on the zeitgeist. Jonah Weiner, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2024 The performance, of course, was a hit, and before long, the British rock ‘n’ roll invasion had begun. Rachel Desantis, Peoplemag, 9 Feb. 2024 No doubt, before long the Twins will have a bronze statue of Mauer erected at Target Field. Charley Walters, Twin Cities, 27 Jan. 2024 Men with business in Asia bought it for their wives and, before long, everyone who was anyone had to have it. Brian T. Allen, National Review, 27 Jan. 2024 Don’t be surprised, however, to see OpenAI ramp up its activity in this field again before long. Rob Toews, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2023 There’s a power struggle, allegiances shift and before long everyone is enmeshed in violence. Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 8 Dec. 2023 But even as Levi’s orchestrations recede, an equally detail-rich music intrudes: bits of birdsong, echoing footfalls and, before long, dogs’ barks, human screams, crackling flames, whistling trains and the unmistakable sound of gunshots. Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 14 Dec. 2023 What looks like a draw, though, becomes a Chinese victory before long. Greg Ip, WSJ, 6 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'before long.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1585, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of before long was in 1585

Dictionary Entries Near before long

Cite this Entry

“Before long.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/before%20long. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

before long

adverb
: in the near future : soon

More from Merriam-Webster on before long

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