by this time
by this time — idiom
1. already, at the point in time being talked about or expected.
already, at the point in time being talked about or expected.
I thought Diego would be home by this time, so I called his sister.
by this time = already at an expected point
By this time, the bakery usually has only two cheese buns left.
by this time at the start of a sentence
Lan is normally awake by this time, but the apartment is still quiet.
By this time last year, Anjali had already saved enough for the train fare.
We expected the rain to stop by this time, yet the playground stayed empty.
- by now
the closest everyday synonym; often sounds a little more conversational
- already
shorter and usually placed nearer the verb
- at this point
broader; often used for stages in a process, discussion, or story
- not yet
used when the expected state has still not been reached
文法句型
by this time, + clause
[subject] + be/finish/leave + by this time
by this time last year
用法筆記
Often appears when the speaker compares now, or another known point, with what was expected earlier. Common with be, finish, leave, wake, sell out, and similar verbs that describe a state already reached.