later 1 of 2

adverb

ˈlā-tər How to pronounce later (audio)
Definition of laternext
as in afterward
following in time or place we're going to go to the mall later on

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

later

2 of 2

adjective

ˈlā-tər How to pronounce later (audio)
as in subsequent
being, occurring, or carried out at a time after something else the details of the plan will be filled in at a later date

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of later
Adverb
His first season with Bayern Munich, after leaving Liverpool in summer 2023, brought decent numbers but obvious tactical issues, leading to a sale to Al Nassr of Saudi Arabia for nearly the same fee a year later. — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026 Howell stormed out of the bodega following an argument with the victim, only to return half an hour later wearing different clothes and immediately approach Askew. — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2026
Adjective
In Northern Ireland, for example, years of backchannel talks paved the way for later breakthroughs. — Matt Waldman, Foreign Affairs, 13 Aug. 2026 Martinez was arrested Wednesday, while Arboleda is being held on Rikers Island on state charges and will be arraigned in Brooklyn Federal Court at a later date. — John Annese, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for later
Recent Examples of Synonyms for later
  1. afterward
  2. subsequent
  3. after
  4. thereafter
Adverb
  • Lollichon saw Penders up close when his current employers, Dunkerque, faced Strasbourg in the French Cup last season and spoke to him afterwards.
    — Matt Pyzdrowski, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Everyone else would then only learn afterwards who won the gold, silver and bronze medals and who finished off of the medal stand without ever knowing exactly why, how close or far anyone was and who else might have been involved in the decision?
    — Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of afterward
Adjective
  • In a subsequent interview with The New York Times, Artan said he had been granted a visa ahead of his arrival.
    — Aleks Klosok, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The end of the men’s World Cup and subsequent drama at FIFA (that keeps getting messier) have only intensified that feeling this year.
    — Emily Olsen, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of subsequent
Adverb
  • Colorado’s athletics program uncovered financial discrepancies during an internal audit of its 2025 records, and alerted police soon after.
    — Matt Moret, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Not long after, the team had their Sky greenlight and BBC Studios jumped aboard to shop globally.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of after
Adverb
  • Everyone the police arrest in New York City gets arraigned shortly thereafter in the criminal courts operating in the city’s five boroughs.
    — Robert Gangi, New York Daily News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • But from there came the Fortner penalty, and soon thereafter the drive ended as Young was swallowed up for a third-down sack.
    — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of thereafter

Phrases Containing later

Browse Nearby Words

latent
later
lateral
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Later.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/later. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on later

Nglish: Translation of later for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All