exactly at midnight

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'exactly at midnight' is correct and usable in written English.
It is often used when referring to a specific time such as in the phrase "at exactly midnight." For example, "I met her exactly at midnight in the parking lot."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

They were given the room farthest away from the music, which ended exactly at midnight.

The New York Times - Travel

His vibrato was restrained in Stravinsky's somber "Élégie" (written in 1944 for viola), and there was a core of melancholy calm even in the jovial moments of his rendition of Bach's Partita No. 2, which ended almost exactly at midnight.

The New York Times - Arts

If you don't have eight days to wait, you can, instead, gather water from a fountain exactly at midnight (invisibility spells are fetishistic about time management), bring it to a boil, and drop in a live black cat.

The New Yorker

"If they hit it exactly at midnight, the beautiful thing is that we see that they would have been sucked out towards the Golden Gate Bridge," Dr Hut told BBC News.

BBC

And then exactly at midnight, a computer-generated Saturn V launches, or rather descends.

Vice

Exactly at midnight, the first five couples will be sent upstairs to the five stations where clerk and recorder staffers will be issuing the licenses.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

51 human-written examples

"I don't have to be at my computer exactly at noon on a Monday," he said, referring to SoulCycle's booking policy.

The New York Times

Careful calculations were made by the monument's designers, and exactly at noon on each Dec. 16, the sun shines through a small opening in the dome, alighting on the empty tomb 138 feet below and yet again signaling for many that it was the Lord's will that the land be theirs.

The New York Times

The LRO was passing over the site exactly at noon (local time of course) so there's a minimum amount of shadowing, and a maximum amount of contrast.

TechCrunch

As the stations are not located exactly at 0° dip latitude, we utilized the latest comprehensive model (CM), CM4 global current model (Sabaka et al. 2004), using ionospheric field components, to normalize observation data to the dip equator.

Earth, Planets and Space

It's customary for www.whitehouse.gov to flip over to the new administration exactly at noon, but the only mention of climate on President Trump's new website is under his "America First Energy Plan" page, in which he vows to destroy President Obama's Climate Action Plan, which is a government-wide plan to reduce carbon emissions and address climate change.

Vice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "exactly at midnight" when specifying a precise time for an event or action. For instance, use it when describing scheduled releases, deadlines, or timed events. For example, 'The software update will be available exactly at midnight.'

Common error

Avoid using redundant adverbs that reiterate the precision already conveyed by "exactly". For example, do not say "exactly precisely at midnight" as "exactly" already implies precision.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "exactly at midnight" functions as an adverbial phrase of time, modifying a verb or clause to specify when an action occurs. It is used to pinpoint a precise moment, as demonstrated in Ludwig's examples where events are scheduled or take place at this specific time.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Science

13%

Formal & Business

12%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "exactly at midnight" is a grammatically correct and usable English phrase that functions as an adverbial phrase of time, commonly found in news, media, science and business contexts. Ludwig AI confirms its validity, emphasizing its role in specifying a precise moment, reinforcing the importance of punctuality. While various alternatives exist, such as "precisely at midnight" or "at the stroke of midnight", "exactly at midnight" is appropriate to indicate a precise timing for scheduled events and deadlines. It is important to avoid redundancy with similar adverbs to maintain clarity. Overall, "exactly at midnight" serves as a clear and effective way to communicate timing information.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

precisely at midnight

Replaces "exactly" with "precisely", emphasizing the accuracy of the timing.

at the stroke of midnight

Uses a more figurative expression to denote the commencement of a new day or the end of the previous one.

right at midnight

Substitutes "exactly" with "right", indicating immediacy and precision.

at 12:00 AM sharp

Specifies the time in a digital clock format, adding clarity.

at the dot of midnight

Emphasizes exactness, using the idiom "at the dot".

on the hour of midnight

A more formal way to indicate the precise time of midnight.

when the clock strikes twelve

Evokes a classic and somewhat dramatic image of midnight.

upon the arrival of midnight

A more literary or descriptive alternative, highlighting the moment midnight arrives.

the moment it turns midnight

Focuses on the transition from one day to the next.

at the transition to the next day

Shifts the focus to the daily transition, avoiding the specific term "midnight".

FAQs

What does "exactly at midnight" mean?

The phrase "exactly at midnight" refers to the precise moment when one day ends and another begins, specifically at 12:00 AM. It emphasizes the accuracy and punctuality of an event occurring at that specific time.

How can I use "exactly at midnight" in a sentence?

You can use "exactly at midnight" to specify the timing of an event or action, such as "The contest ends "exactly at midnight"", or "The new update will be released "exactly at midnight"".

What are some alternatives to saying "exactly at midnight"?

Some alternatives include "precisely at midnight", "at the stroke of midnight", or "right at midnight". These phrases convey a similar meaning with slight variations in style.

Is it redundant to use "exactly" with "at midnight"?

While "at midnight" implies a specific time, adding "exactly" emphasizes the precision and punctuality of the event. It is not grammatically incorrect and can be used for emphasis.