early on
adverb
: at or during an early point or stage
the reasons were obvious early on in the experiment
Using Early on: Usage Guide
This adverb is sometimes objected to in American writing as an obtrusive Briticism. It is a relative newcomer to the language, having arisen in British English around 1928. It seems to have filled a need, however. It came into frequent use in American English in the late 1960s and is now well established on both sides of the Atlantic in both speech and writing.
Examples of early on in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Cubs’ starting depth has taken too much of a hit early on to start pulling a talent like Brown out of the rotation.
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Sahadev Sharma, New York Times, 3 May 2025
Scientists believe lighter elements such as hydrogen and helium, and even a small amount of lithium, likely existed early on after the big bang created the universe 13.8 billion years ago.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 3 May 2025
Canelo, 29-28. Round 2: The action is very slow early on.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 3 May 2025
New presidents often get a break early on, as voters often blame economic problems on previous leaders.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for early on
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Sahadev Sharma, New York Times, 3 May 2025
Scientists believe lighter elements such as hydrogen and helium, and even a small amount of lithium, likely existed early on after the big bang created the universe 13.8 billion years ago.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 3 May 2025
Canelo, 29-28. Round 2: The action is very slow early on.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 3 May 2025
New presidents often get a break early on, as voters often blame economic problems on previous leaders.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for early on
Cite this Entry
“Early on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/early%20on. Accessed 7 May. 2025.
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