late last week

USAGE SUMMARY

'late last week' is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it when referring to the previous week that has already ended. For example: "We finished the project late last week."

✓ Grammatically correct

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

Last year, during David Cameron's trip to Beijing, the same paper announced that Britain was "just an old European country apt [that is, suitable] for travel and study".

The Guardian - Opinion

Referred to in court as D, she entered a not guilty plea to a charge of intimidation last week while wearing a niqab after the judge backed down from a previous decision that she would have to show her face to be properly identified.

The Guardian

"It's only what happened a couple of weeks ago or next week that matters.

The Guardian - Sport

As a result, the country lost a further 21 positions in the policy evaluation compared to last year, thus replacing Canada as the worst-performing industrial country".

The Guardian

Washington, March 8, 2011.

The New York Times

"Scoring is not up, but injuries are up," Tallon said of the current rule last week.

The New York Times

Nazarbayev permitted a relatively high degree of political activity until the emergence of a reform movement called Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan, backed by several wealthy business people, in late 2001.

The Guardian

I think there might have been the odd humorous comment over the porridge about supposing he had some work to do next week".

The Guardian

The order book was down slightly at £3.6bn from the last update in June but well ahead of the £3.3bn reported this time last year.

The Guardian - Business

Since last July the state has opted to use just one massive dose of the sedative pentobarbital as its lethal injection, instead of a cocktail of three different drugs.

The Guardian

These reached boiling point in the western city of Zhanaozen in late 2011 when authorities opened fire on striking workers, leaving at least 14 dead.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "late last week" when you want to indicate something happened in the latter part of the previous week, but don't need to specify the exact day.

Common error

Avoid using "late last week" if the reader might not know which week you're referring to. If there's potential for confusion, be more specific about the timeframe.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "late last week" functions as an adverbial phrase of time, specifying when an event occurred. While Ludwig provides a verification of the phrase, there's a limited number of examples in the search data.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

Science

0%

News & Media

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Science

0%

News & Media

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "late last week" serves as a common way to generally identify a time frame. Ludwig confirms that is a correct phrase, even if it is not backed by specific examples in the provided dataset. When clarity is key, replacing it with a more specific date is advisable. The phrase suits neutral communication, though awareness of potential ambiguity helps make writing more precise.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Toward the end of last week

Specifies a period within the last week, focusing on the concluding days.

In the latter part of last week

Similar to "toward the end of last week", but slightly more formal.

The end of the previous week

More descriptive, avoids the ambiguity of what "late" means.

During the final days of last week

Emphasizes a duration over multiple days near the week's end.

The tail end of the week before

More informal and conversational.

Late in the week prior

Uses 'prior' as a synonym for 'last', creating a slightly more formal tone.

The back end of last week

Informal and may not be universally understood.

As last week drew to a close

More literary and descriptive.

In the waning days of last week

Implies a decline or ending phase, more figurative.

The closing stages of last week

Focuses on the final activities or events of the week.

FAQs

How can I use "late last week" in a sentence?

You can use "late last week" to indicate an unspecified time in the latter part of the previous week. For example, "We finalized the agreement late last week".

What's a more specific alternative to "late last week"?

If you need to be more precise, use specific days like "last Thursday" or "last Friday" instead of "late last week".

Is "late last week" too vague for formal writing?

In formal contexts, being too general might be an issue. Use the phrase depending on the need for precision. If dates are important, specify them.

What phrases are similar in meaning to "late last week"?

Similar phrases include "toward the end of last week" or "in the latter part of last week".