early on

adverb

: at or during an early point or stage
the reasons were obvious early on in the experiment
Using Early on: Usage Guide

This adverb is sometimes objected to in American writing as an obtrusive Briticism. It is a relative newcomer to the language, having arisen in British English around 1928. It seems to have filled a need, however. It came into frequent use in American English in the late 1960s and is now well established on both sides of the Atlantic in both speech and writing.

Examples of early on in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The actress hit the red carpet early on Sunday as co-host of ABC's Oscars 2024 pre-show, revealing her growing baby bump. Lindsay Kimble, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 The flight — a journey of about three hours from Kendari to Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital, early on Jan. 25 — was a return leg for the crew and plane, which had spent less than an hour on the ground after arriving from Jakarta. Yan Zhuang, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2024 With Tigers Blood, early on […] there was some pressure that Brad Cook and myself were feeling. Eric Renner Brown, Billboard, 7 Mar. 2024 In a rematch between the two teams that contested the 2022 NBA Finals, the Celtics ran away with proceedings early on. Sam Joseph, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024 Nathan Smith, 16, was bank fishing early on Feb. 24 at New Creek Dam Site #14 with his pal Caleb Burns, 18. Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 28 Feb. 2024 Folks in the Kansas City might want to get out and enjoy the record warm weather early on Tuesday because an intense cold front will sweep across the region sending temperatures plunging, according to the National Weather Service. Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 27 Feb. 2024 From very early on, this decolonial theory has been part of my politics. Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024 As the survivors of the 110th Brigade scurried west past covering units on the edge of Avdiivka early on Saturday, a Ukrainian air force missile battery shot down at least one—and potentially several—Russian Sukhoi fighter-bombers 60 miles east of the Avdiivka. David Axe, Forbes, 17 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'early on.' 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

1759, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of early on was in 1759

Dictionary Entries Near early on

Cite this Entry

“Early on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/early%20on. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

early on

adverb
: at or during an early point or stage
had decided early on not to accept
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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