earlier that fall

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "earlier that fall" is not correct; it should be "earlier that fall" instead of "that." You can use it when referring to a specific time in the fall season that occurred before a certain event or moment.
Example: "We had a great time hiking in the mountains earlier that fall before the snow started to fall."

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

Earlier that fall, Ledbetter's label had released "Art of Field Recording: Volume I," a four-CD retrospective of Rosenbaum's work.

The New Yorker

He was referring to the four televised debates between him and Richard Nixon, broadcast earlier that fall.

The New Yorker

Adlai Stevenson, then ambassador to the U.N., had been spit on during his visit to the city earlier that fall.

The New York Times

After the 2013 season, the Dodgers' manager, Don Mattingly, accused the St . LouisCardinals of stealing signs during their playoff series earlier that fall.

The New Yorker

It was earlier that fall, as Chairman Ben S. Bernanke and Fed colleagues hinted that the program was forthcoming, that the stock market got back on track.

The Washington Post

Yet, like The Ice Storm earlier that fall, Boogie Nights is at its best when exploring the limits of male machismo and vulnerability.

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

Early that fall (I think) Athena moved home; and I have never heard from her again.

The New Yorker

But his outlook changed early that fall when he saw a show by Quipfire!, the student improv comedy group.

Princeton University

Early that fall I made a point of coming East and taking Grandma to lunch to tell her I was gay — away from the prying eyes of family and the circus atmosphere of Thanksgiving dinner.

The New York Times

The paper develops asymptotic theory for such processes and associated regression statistics thereby extending earlier findings that fall within certain subclasses of processes involving near-integrated time series.

Yale University

It also eliminated same-day registration, out-of-precinct voting, preregistration for sixteen- and seventeen-year-olds, and a week of early voting measures that fall hardest on communities of color.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "earlier that fall" to clearly indicate a period within the autumn season that precedes a specific event or time. This helps to establish a temporal relationship between events in your writing.

Common error

Avoid using "earlier that fall" when you need to specify a more precise date or timeframe. Use specific months or weeks instead when possible to ensure clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "earlier that fall" functions as an adverbial phrase modifying a verb by specifying when an action occurred. It places the action within a timeframe that precedes another event within the same autumn season. As per Ludwig, this usage is acceptable.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Academia

25%

Encyclopedias

10%

Less common in

Science

5%

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "earlier that fall" is an acceptable prepositional phrase used to denote a period within the autumn season preceding a specific event. While Ludwig acknowledges that it is usable, be cautious because some sources consider it incorrect. It appears most frequently in News & Media and Academic contexts. To ensure precision, use more specific dates or timeframes when appropriate. Alternative phrases like "earlier that autumn" can be used interchangeably, maintaining clarity and temporal relationship in your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

earlier that autumn

Uses the synonym "autumn" instead of "fall" to refer to the same season.

before that fall

A more concise way of saying "earlier that fall", maintaining the same meaning.

prior to that fall

Replaces "earlier" with "prior to", indicating a time before the autumn season.

that previous fall

Uses "previous" to emphasize the time frame before a known event in the autumn season.

the preceding fall

A more formal alternative, indicating the fall season that came before.

in the early part of that fall

More descriptive, specifying the beginning of the autumn season.

at the beginning of that fall

Similar to the above, focusing on the initial period of the autumn season.

during the first part of that fall

Similar to 'in the early part of that fall' but uses different phrasing.

earlier in autumn that year

Specifies the time frame within the same year.

leading up to that fall

Highlights the period immediately before the autumn season.

FAQs

How can I use "earlier that fall" in a sentence?

You can use "earlier that fall" to indicate a time period in autumn before a particular event. For example, "The company announced its restructuring plans earlier that fall, before the holiday season began."

What's a synonym for "earlier that fall"?

A synonym for "earlier that fall" is "earlier that autumn". Both refer to the same time of year, with 'autumn' being more common in British English.

Is it correct to say "in early fall" instead of "earlier that fall"?

Yes, "in early fall" is often a suitable alternative, but its meaning is slightly different. "In early fall" refers specifically to the beginning of the fall season, while "earlier that fall" refers to some point before a specified event in the fall.

How does "earlier that fall" differ from "later that fall"?

"Earlier that fall" refers to a time before a particular event in autumn, while "later that fall" refers to a time after a specific event but still within the same autumn.