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Synonyms

before long

Idioms  

  1. Soon, in the near future, as in The baby will be teething before long. This idiom was first recorded in 1865.

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.

Flight to quality patterns may emerge before long, he says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

Cummins talked Mary Ann into taking the job, and before long, she joined the faculty of a brand-new middle school Cummins co-founded by the name of Crossroads.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2026

The two cloud businesses now make up about half of sales, and if current trends continue, they could continue to dominate Oracle’s income statement before long.

From Barron's • Mar. 10, 2026

He shared custody of his two children, 11 and 8, when we met, but before long, both chose to live with us full-time.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 17, 2026

But before long the snow was falling fast, filling all the air, and swirling into Frodo’s eyes.

From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien

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.