sooner or later

adverb

Synonyms of sooner or laternext
: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Signs Tomatoes Are Planted Too Close Together Unfortunately, not giving your tomato plants sufficient space will backfire sooner or later in the growing season. Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 23 Apr. 2026 And monuments, sooner or later, stop moving. Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 16 Apr. 2026 Bedard’s presence is enough to keep Hawks fans from tuning out, but sooner or later that will wear off. Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026 But after seeing her set at the festival, at least one reporter anticipates that, sooner or later, being a Times journalist might become the real side gig. Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sooner or later

Word History

First Known Use

1577, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sooner or later was in 1577

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sooner or later.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sooner%20or%20later. Accessed 1 May. 2026.

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