before long
IdiomsExample Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He would claim that he’d be passing by the accused’s cell and strike up a conversation, and before long the fellow prisoner would be unburdening himself.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
He was sent initially to a regular school, but before long was transferred against his wishes to a special school.
From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026
She began posting videos of her apartment-hunting journey on TikTok and before long people were asking her for help.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026
I didn’t keep up with the franchise—somewhere around GTA IV, I got married, and before long I was immersed in an even more chaotic open-worlder called parenting.
From Barron's ● May 21, 2026
Word of his generosity quickly got around, which inspired other philanthropists—unwilling to be outdone—to send even more money; and before long people everywhere were sending gifts to the Washingtons, who were growing rich.
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
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.
