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
This court case is at the very least the beginning of a longer discussion— and reckoning—worth having.
—
Dan Perry, Newsweek, 31 Jan. 2025
The evidence was there to support a late-breaking run for, at the very least, supporting actress Jamie Lee Curtis, who earned SAG and BAFTA nominations for her turn as a cocktail waitress who gives a soaring, impromptu dance in the middle of a casino.
—Ew Staff, EW.com, 30 Jan. 2025
That, at the very least, entitled him to another conversation about starting.
—Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 25 Jan. 2025
Johnson should bring back a first-rounder at the very least.
—Eric Koreen, The Athletic, 24 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for at the (very) least 
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Dan Perry, Newsweek, 31 Jan. 2025
The evidence was there to support a late-breaking run for, at the very least, supporting actress Jamie Lee Curtis, who earned SAG and BAFTA nominations for her turn as a cocktail waitress who gives a soaring, impromptu dance in the middle of a casino.
—Ew Staff, EW.com, 30 Jan. 2025
That, at the very least, entitled him to another conversation about starting.
—Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 25 Jan. 2025
Johnson should bring back a first-rounder at the very least.
—Eric Koreen, The Athletic, 24 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for at the (very) least
Dictionary Entries Near at the (very) least
Cite this Entry
“At the (very) least.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/at%20the%20%28very%29%20least. Accessed 7 Feb. 2025.
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