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
One of the first luxury designers to use social media like a digital native, Rousteing embraced Instagram early on.
—
Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 19 Sep. 2025
Teams often prioritize functionality over scalability early on, which can lead to performance issues as the app grows.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
The fact that organized labor is picking sides so early on has worried the Democratic field, NBC News recently reported.
—Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 19 Sep. 2025
While Othership caught the attention of many male biohackers early on, Laine said emphasis on the emotional benefits of the sauna-and-ice-bath experience helped draw more women to their bathhouses.
—Katherine Fung, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for early on
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Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 19 Sep. 2025
Teams often prioritize functionality over scalability early on, which can lead to performance issues as the app grows.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
The fact that organized labor is picking sides so early on has worried the Democratic field, NBC News recently reported.
—Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 19 Sep. 2025
While Othership caught the attention of many male biohackers early on, Laine said emphasis on the emotional benefits of the sauna-and-ice-bath experience helped draw more women to their bathhouses.
—Katherine Fung, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 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 21 Sep. 2025.
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