is barely over

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "is barely over" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that something has just finished or concluded, often implying that it ended very recently or that it was of short duration. Example: "The meeting is barely over, and already we have new tasks to tackle."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

26 human-written examples

The season is barely over before it begins again.Brian France, the chairman of NASCAR, admits that the sport is "in a little bit of a lull".

The Economist

The school year is barely over, but many parents have already been worrying for months about where their children will attend school come fall.

The Washington Post

June is barely over, but Rakuten has already had a busy year.

TechCrunch

Jeez, CES is barely over and already NAMM is upon us.

TechCrunch

Thanksgiving is barely over and bam! -- it is time for Christmas.

HuffPost

The Civil War is barely over.

The New York Times - Arts

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

34 human-written examples

The Lubomirski rokosz was barely over and the truce with Muscovy newly signed when the Cossacks in the Polish part of divided Ukraine submitted to Turkey and called for Tatar aid against Poland.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Holy Ship electronic music cruises in January and February are barely over, and 2016 sailings have just been announced.

Los Angeles Times

The 2014 midterms are barely over, yet most Americans are apparently ready to do it again, a HuffPost/YouGov poll finds.

Huffington Post

By early 2009, its stock was barely over $10, down over 80 percent from its peak.

The New York Times

Inflation was barely over 2 percent before the earthquake and was negative for nine months in 2009.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "is barely over" to convey a sense of immediacy or surprise that something else is already happening or being considered so soon after the initial event concluded.

Common error

Avoid using "is barely over" when you simply want to state that something has ended without emphasizing the short time frame since its conclusion. If the timing isn't crucial, use a simpler phrase like "is over" or "has ended".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "is barely over" functions as a stative verb phrase describing the state of an event or period having recently concluded. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is grammatically correct. The examples show its use in various contexts to indicate that something has just finished.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Encyclopedias

10%

Science

10%

Less common in

Wiki

10%

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "is barely over" is a grammatically sound and commonly used phrase that effectively conveys the recent conclusion of an event. As indicated by Ludwig AI, the phrase is considered correct. It is most frequently encountered in news and media contexts, where it serves to emphasize the short time frame between the end of something and the start of something else. When writing, use "is barely over" when you want to highlight the immediacy and perhaps unexpected timing of a subsequent event or action. Consider alternatives like "has just ended" or "is freshly concluded" for slightly different nuances, but avoid using it if the sense of recent timing isn't relevant to your meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

has just ended

Focuses on the action of ending rather than the state of being barely past the end.

has scarcely finished

Emphasizes the minimal amount of time that has passed since completion.

is freshly concluded

Highlights the newness of the conclusion.

has only just wrapped up

Uses a more informal term "wrapped up" for concluded.

is newly completed

Stresses the recent nature of the completion.

has recently ceased

Formal alternative, focusing on the cessation of activity.

is in the immediate aftermath of

Shifts the focus to the period following the event.

has just drawn to a close

Emphasizes the finality of the ending.

is hot off the presses

Idiomatic expression emphasizing the very recent nature of the completion.

is but newly done

Uses a more archaic tone to convey recent completion.

FAQs

How can I use "is barely over" in a sentence?

Use "is barely over" to emphasize the short amount of time that has passed since an event concluded, often implying that something else is happening sooner than expected. For example, "The meeting is barely over, and already we have new tasks to tackle."

What can I say instead of "is barely over"?

You can use alternatives like "has just ended", "has scarcely finished", or "is freshly concluded" depending on the context.

What's the difference between "is barely over" and "is completely over"?

"Is barely over" emphasizes the recency of the end, suggesting that very little time has passed since the conclusion. "Is completely over", on the other hand, simply states that something has finished without emphasizing the timing. The distinction lies in the focus on the time elapsed since the ending.

Is it correct to use "is barely over" in formal writing?

Yes, "is barely over" is suitable for formal writing, especially when you want to stress the short time frame between an event's conclusion and a subsequent event or action. However, in very formal contexts, you might consider alternatives like "has recently ceased".