at the (very) least

idiom

—used to indicate the least thing that is true, acceptable, desirable, or certain to happen

He wanted to win the race, or at the least, to finish second.

It will change your life or, at the very least, teach you something new.

At the very least, she deserves to be heard.

Examples of at the (very) least in a Sentence

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.

Hurts is, at the very least, taking the next step, a significant development with the Eagles just days away from hosting the Packers in the playoffs. —

Amos Morale Iii, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025 Trump could have received Gonzalez Urrutia at his Mar-a-Lago mansion in Palm Beach, or at the very least held a Zoom meeting with him. —

Andres Oppenheimer, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2025 That should ease your worries about battery reliability at the very least. —

New Atlas, 6 Jan. 2025 Messing with their structure poses risk to the economy, and at the very least could raise mortgage rates even further. —

Felix Salmon, Axios, 6 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for at the (very) least

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“At the (very) least.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/at%20the%20%28very%29%20least. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.

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