as soon as
Idioms-
When, just after, as in Please call me as soon as dinner is ready , or As soon as the sun goes down, the temperature drops dramatically . [Late 1200s]
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At the earliest moment that, as in Telephone me as soon as you can . It often takes the form as soon as possible , meaning at the earliest possible moment, as in He'll finish the work as soon as possible . This expression employs possible in the sense of “if it can or could be,” a usage dating from the late 1600s.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Hally’s mood darkens as soon as he learns from Sam that his mother is bringing his dad home from the hospital.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026
The startup behind the popular Claude chatbot and coding tool is eyeing a potential IPO as soon as this year.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
Streeting met families who had experienced bereavement and harm, and agreed the inquiry would begin as soon as possible.
From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026
On Tuesday morning, Brent crude was trading at about $98 a barrel on hopes that delegations from the U.S. and Iran will reconvene in Islamabad, Pakistan, as soon as this week to negotiate a deal.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026
‘I knew as soon as Hord told me about him. Only a Soul Eater could have trapped so great a demon.’
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
