during last year

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "during last year" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to events or situations that occurred in the previous calendar year. Example: "During last year, we saw significant growth in our sales figures."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

46 human-written examples

She advanced to the semifinals here only to slip back in her discipline to diet during last year.

The New York Times - Sports

Additional factors for Cross River included: being married or co-habiting, not experiencing intimate partner violence during last year or last pregnancy, naming a government health facility as their nearest source of antenatal care, and coming from a less poor household (having enough food during last week).

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth

During last year a big effort was put into building the prototype of the endo-rectal probe from all point of view: mechanical, thermal, electrical.

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment

3) Oral health behavior: last dental visit (during last year, more than a year ago); purpose of dental visit (examination/prevention, treatment); toothbrushing frequency (less than once a day, once a day, more than once a day); use of fluoride toothpaste (yes, no/don't know); amount of toothpaste on toothbrush (less than half, half, more than half).

BMC Oral Health

Speaking to The Associated Press, Watanabe said: "Ferdinand was disposed of during last year.

The New York Times - Sports

The New Yorker, September 14 , 1929P. 17 Pipe sales dropped 25% during last year.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

14 human-written examples

Thus when tens of thousands of mainland visitors turned up during last year’s New Year holidays, the park had to shut its gates to prevent overcrowding, turning away many with valid tickets.

Forbes

He last played there during spring training.

Los Angeles Times

The last Lexcens were built during 1997.

Wikipedia

It did during this week.

The New York Times

More airlines will join in during 2008.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "during last year", ensure the context clearly indicates which year you are referring to, especially if the document spans multiple years. For instance, in a report written in 2025, "during last year" refers to 2024.

Common error

Avoid ambiguity by explicitly specifying the year if there's a chance readers might misinterpret "during last year" as a different period. If clarity is paramount, replace it with "in 2024" or "during the 2024 calendar year".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "during last year" functions as an adverbial phrase of time, specifying when an action or event occurred. It modifies verbs or clauses to provide temporal context, as seen in the Ludwig examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Science

40%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

1%

Wiki

1%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "during last year" is a grammatically sound and frequently used adverbial phrase that specifies a timeframe, referring to the preceding calendar year. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is correct and versatile, appearing across a broad spectrum of contexts, from news and media to scientific research and formal business communications. Remember to ensure contextual clarity and explicitly state the year if ambiguity is possible.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

in the past year

Focuses on the completed period of the last year without specifying the duration.

over the last year

Emphasizes the duration and progression of time throughout the last year.

throughout last year

Highlights events that occurred at various points during the entire year.

in the previous year

A more formal way to refer to the year prior to the current one.

the year before

A simpler way to describe the immediately preceding year.

last 365 days

This uses the exact number of days instead of "year".

during the preceding year

A more formal and less common alternative.

in the prior year

Short, and simple but can be a bit less specific than "during last year".

in the last calendar year

Adds specificity by explicitly mentioning the calendar year.

since the start of last year

Focuses on the period from the beginning of last year until now.

FAQs

How can I use "during last year" in a sentence?

You can use "during last year" to refer to events or situations that occurred in the year immediately preceding the current one. For example, "During last year, our company experienced significant growth."

What phrases can I use instead of "during last year"?

Alternatives include "in the past year", "over the last year", or "in the previous year", depending on the level of formality required.

Is it more correct to say "during last year" or "in last year"?

"During last year" is generally preferred because it specifies a period of time, whereas "in last year" can sound less precise. However, both are commonly used.

What is the difference between "during last year" and "last year"?

"Last year" is a simple reference to the previous year. "During last year" is also referring to the previous year, but it is often used to describe events or actions happened along the whole period of time.