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
Recommended The Monitor's View Russia wises up to a Ukrainian strength
Almost inevitably, these difficult decisions trigger, at the very least, raised eyebrows and defensiveness.
—
Riley Robinson, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 June 2024
Gadgets certainly make life easier—or, at the very least, make a show of it.
—Zoe Yu, Longreads, 28 May 2024
Whether the idea to transition into numbers that slide into/borrow from Latin pop and Mexican folk corridos would help make the movie more accessible — or at the very least more of a Pedro Almodóvar-like mash-up of camp, melodrama, genre stylings and emotional gravitas — is anyone’s guess.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 19 May 2024
And, of course, on this spin-off, all the cast has been sort of offered some sort of role or place on the show — there’s the possibility, at the very least, of maybe coming back, which would be really fun.
—Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2024
With more metals in the rivers, scientists are concerned the phenomenon could impact rural drinking water—and at the very least affect the water’s taste, reports CBS News’ Aliza Chasan.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 May 2024
O’Leary, of course, will hope the promise of sun and sea will entice otherwise hesitant customers into splurging on vacations, at the very least giving Ryanair a summer to remember.
—Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 21 May 2024
My family is devastated and at the least deserves closure and peace.
—Photographs Todd Heisler, New York Times, 19 May 2024
Some floral arrangers soak the entire cut stems for several hours in warm water, but at the very least, make sure the cut ends stay underwater, just like with a flower bouquet.
—Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 22 Feb. 2024
Riley Robinson, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 June 2024
Gadgets certainly make life easier—or, at the very least, make a show of it.
—Zoe Yu, Longreads, 28 May 2024
Whether the idea to transition into numbers that slide into/borrow from Latin pop and Mexican folk corridos would help make the movie more accessible — or at the very least more of a Pedro Almodóvar-like mash-up of camp, melodrama, genre stylings and emotional gravitas — is anyone’s guess.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 19 May 2024
And, of course, on this spin-off, all the cast has been sort of offered some sort of role or place on the show — there’s the possibility, at the very least, of maybe coming back, which would be really fun.
—Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2024
With more metals in the rivers, scientists are concerned the phenomenon could impact rural drinking water—and at the very least affect the water’s taste, reports CBS News’ Aliza Chasan.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 May 2024
O’Leary, of course, will hope the promise of sun and sea will entice otherwise hesitant customers into splurging on vacations, at the very least giving Ryanair a summer to remember.
—Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 21 May 2024
My family is devastated and at the least deserves closure and peace.
—Photographs Todd Heisler, New York Times, 19 May 2024
Some floral arrangers soak the entire cut stems for several hours in warm water, but at the very least, make sure the cut ends stay underwater, just like with a flower bouquet.
—Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 22 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'at the (very) least.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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 10 Jun. 2024.
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