sooner or later

adverb

: at some uncertain future time : sometime

Examples of sooner or later in a Sentence

sooner or later, the police are going to track down the burglar

Recent Examples on the Web Another statement to consider: The fact that a man who is at once hard-working, clever and thrifty will sooner or later make money seems to me to be so obvious as to require no particular philosophical meditation . —

Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 30 Sep. 2024 There is much that is uncertain, but one thing seems sure: the contest between democracy and authoritarianism in Venezuela most likely will now be determined not by a vote but, sooner or later, by force. —

Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2024 What happens next, in other words, is what should have happened months ago, and what had to happen sooner or later. —

David Von Drehle, Washington Post, 21 July 2024 Meanwhile, the threat of bird flu looms, a reminder that another pandemic will come sooner or later. —

Dylan Scott, Vox, 1 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for sooner or later

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sooner or later.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1577, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of sooner or later was in 1577

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Sooner or later.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sooner%20or%20later. Accessed 5 Oct. 2024.

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