on the eve of

Idioms  

1. Just prior to, as in On the eve of the conference the main speaker backed out. This expression uses eve, literally “the night before,” more loosely. [Late 1700s]

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Example Sentences

Michael Jackson is stricken on the eve of a comeback tour.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

This year’s American Music Honors arrives on the eve of the bravura grand opening of the Center’s spacious new home, which will begin welcoming visitors in June.

From Salon • Apr. 20, 2026

Rasputin’s death marked the end of a strange chapter in Russian history on the eve of revolution.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

And you, my friend, have come up against a brick wall on the eve of your 73rd birthday, when your first RMD is due, and there’s no way around it.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 23, 2026

Lawrence wrote back, at once chastened and defensive, on the eve of his departure for Brussels.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik