not until

idiom

: not before

Not until you finish your homework can you go outside.

When you finish your homework you can go outside, but not until then.

Examples of not until in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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Instead of an offensive juggernaut that can rack up points in a hurry, the Chiefs are a defense-first team that scratches and claws its way to victory — and often not until the very final seconds. —

Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 12 Dec. 2024 Advertisement Instead, the agency declared that closing Aliso Canyon will be possible only when the region’s gas demand falls to a certain level — likely not until the 2030s. —

Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024 But Daniel Penny didn’t let go, not for six minutes, not until Neely was as lifeless as any of the backpacks or briefcases passengers had carried on the train that day. —

Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 8 Dec. 2024 Eventually, the coolant ran out, but not until WISE had successfully completed its science goals. —

Toshi Hirabayashi, Discover Magazine, 5 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for not until