had barely closed

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had barely closed" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a situation where something was just closed or finished a very short time ago, often implying that it was still in the process of closing or that the action was not fully completed. Example: "The door had barely closed behind her when she realized she had forgotten her keys."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

8 human-written examples

The door had barely closed when there was a knock on it….

The Guardian

The door had barely closed behind me when I heard the sound of stampeding little footsteps accompanied by cries of joy and complaint.

The New Yorker

But Mr. Bradley had barely closed the coffin on his Presidential campaign before he doused any speculation about a bid for Governor.

The New York Times

Indeed, the door had barely closed before it swung open again, and a young woman with a small dog on a leash strolled in.

The New York Times

The polls had barely closed when the first "YES WE DID" buttons hit the streets, and since then there has been a profusion of pins — one shows the Obamas with their daughters under the words "AMERICA'S FIRST FAMILY" — that likewise seem designed to reassure their wearers that, yes, Obama's victory really happened and, yes, his Presidency is really going to happen, too.

The New Yorker

Here was a college freshman who had barely closed her own blue books and was eagerly preparing to stage a $200,000 event (financed primarily by the Goldman Sachs Foundation, thanks to guidance from Xu). Lightening burdens, that "quality education" goal, was not exactly on any of these students' agendas; juggling competing aspirations was more like it.

The New York Times - Magazine

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

Sometimes startups shut down fast, and in the case of new online scrapbooking maker Irrive, which only launched this past September, the company had barely even gotten started before closing up shop.

TechCrunch

At Fulton Street, Edwin Lo, a 34-year-old security guard from the Bronx, had barely slipped inside the closing train doors when he found himself about a foot from the crowded stage, the audience nearly pushing him into a scene.

The New York Times

Up to Friday's close, the stock had barely budged since the start of the year.

Huffington Post

He had barely arrived in the Pacific when he heard that some of his closest friends had been killed.

The New Yorker

But England had barely begun.

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had barely closed" to create a sense of suspense or urgency by implying that something else happened almost immediately afterward. This construction is effective in narrative writing to quickly advance the plot or introduce unexpected events.

Common error

Avoid using "barely closed" instead of "had barely closed". The past perfect tense (had + past participle) is necessary to correctly indicate that the closing action preceded another event in the past.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had barely closed" functions as a temporal marker, indicating that one action occurred immediately before another. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage in describing a sequence of events where the first action has just been completed.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

85%

Science

5%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

1%

Wiki

1%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "had barely closed" is a grammatically sound phrase used to indicate that one event occurred almost immediately after another. According to Ludwig AI, it's appropriate for various contexts, especially in news and media, to create a sense of immediacy. When using this phrase, ensure the correct past perfect tense is employed to accurately convey the sequence of events. Consider alternatives such as ""had just closed"" or ""had scarcely closed"" for similar effects.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had just closed

Indicates the action of closing happened a moment before.

had scarcely closed

Uses 'scarcely' to emphasize how little time passed.

had hardly closed

Similar to 'scarcely', indicating minimal time elapsed.

had only just closed

Adds emphasis to the recency of the closing action.

had no sooner closed than

More formal construction indicating immediate succession.

closed almost immediately

Rephrases the sentence to focus on the timing of the closing.

was just closing when

Shifts to a continuous tense, emphasizing the process.

shut not a moment before

More emphatic way of stating the timing.

had recently been closed

Indicates recent completion with a focus on the state of being closed.

had finished closing only seconds ago

Provides a more specific timeframe.

FAQs

How can I use "had barely closed" in a sentence?

Use "had barely closed" to indicate that something happened immediately after something else was closed. For example, "The door "had barely closed" when the phone rang."

What are some alternatives to "had barely closed"?

Alternatives include "had just closed", "had scarcely closed", or "had hardly closed". All these phrases convey a similar meaning of something happening very shortly after another action.

Is it correct to say "barely closed" instead of "had barely closed"?

No, using "barely closed" without the auxiliary verb "had" is grammatically incorrect in this context. The past perfect tense ("had barely closed") is needed to show that the closing happened before another past event.

What's the difference between "had barely closed" and "just closed"?

"Had barely closed" emphasizes the very short time interval between the closing and the subsequent event. "Just closed" ("had just closed") also indicates recency, but does not necessarily imply the same level of immediacy or consequence.