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• Better late than never
  Better late than never

  It is better to do something after it was supposed to have been done than not to do it at all.
• better late than never
  better late than never

  Being tardy is better than not at all, as in We've been waiting for you for an hour—but better late than never. This phrase, first recorded about 1200, appears in several early English proverb collections, often with the added but better never late. Today it is often used in exasperation over a delay, as in the example.

Better late than never

Cultural  

1. It is better to do something after it was supposed to have been done than not to do it at all.

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better late than never Idioms  

1. Being tardy is better than not at all, as in We've been waiting for you for an hour—but better late than never. This phrase, first recorded about 1200, appears in several early English proverb collections, often with the added but better never late. Today it is often used in exasperation over a delay, as in the example.

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Example Sentences

A better-late-than-never Allen-like leap by Jones would also vindicate General Manager Dave Gettleman’s decision to draft him.

From New York Times • Jan. 14, 2021

Shorts policy: From the better-late-than-never department, the PGA Tour, finally following the precedent set by the European Tour three years ago, will allow its players to wear shorts during practice rounds and pro-ams going forward.

From Golf Digest • Feb. 19, 2019

This night, on top of his six-inning, three-hit 4-2 win in Game 2, will stand as his rebuttal and a summation of his better-late-than-never clutch-pitcher status.

From Washington Post • Oct. 29, 2018

A better-late-than-never love story brought him to North Carolina in the 1980s.

From Washington Times • Dec. 30, 2016

Secondly, it congratulates New York on its better-late-than-never progress.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 3, 2014