then never before

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "then never before" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to emphasize that something has occurred at a specific time that has not happened previously. Example: "She felt a sense of freedom that she had never experienced then never before in her life."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Science

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

In response to Swift using his song, Bieber posted an acoustic rendition of the then never-before heard "Favorite Girl" on his YouTube.

Wikipedia

Then again, it never before had a 27 1/2-foot-high chair.

The New York Times

I've been a subscriber and front-to-back reader of the Book Review for 40 years, and I've never felt the need to write a letter to the editor — but then I've never before encountered a front page quite like the one on Sept. 16.

The New York Times - Books

But then the court has never before sought to indict a serving head of state.

The Economist

But never before then.

BBC

22 24 We excluded deaths that occurred more than 24 hours after the on duty event unless the law enforcement officer had sudden loss of consciousness while on duty and then never regained it before a later biologic death (for example, cardiac arrest followed by a period of maintenance on life support without the patient regaining consciousness).

British Medical Journal

She didn't say anything for a minute and then she said she'd never before heard of greater example of the power of words.

Huffington Post

Then again, I have also never before been in a give-and-take conversation with Peter Jackson about the merits of shooting a film using 48 frames-per-second technology.

Huffington Post

In the best cases, you can see what is happening with a microscope and then optimize processes to a degree never before possible.

Forbes

The researchers used music-recommendation programs to find new songs these participants had never before heard, and then had them listen to those songs for the first time in a functional magnetic resonance imaging machine (fMRI).

Huffington Post

She saw it first thing and said, 'That's it.' " Mr. Moynihan, then, never actually saw the farm before he bought it?

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "then never before" to emphasize a turning point where something new or unprecedented occurs. It adds a sense of significance to the moment being described.

Common error

Avoid using "then never before" when simply indicating sequence without a sense of unique occurrence. If the temporal order is the only thing you want to express, a simpler 'then' or 'afterward' is more appropriate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "then never before" functions as an adverbial modifier, emphasizing the temporal aspect and the unprecedented nature of an event. It indicates that something occurred at a particular point in time that had not happened previously. As confirmed by Ludwig, it's grammatically correct and usable.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Wiki

30%

Science

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "then never before" functions as an adverbial modifier used to emphasize the unprecedented nature of an event at a specific time. While grammatically correct, as Ludwig AI confirms, it's a relatively rare expression. It’s most frequently found in news articles, wikis and scientific sources, serving to highlight the novelty and significance of the situation. When writing, use "then never before" to emphasize a unique turning point, but avoid using it when simply indicating sequence without expressing uniqueness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

not until then

Emphasizes the temporal aspect, highlighting that something didn't happen before that specific time.

not previously

Focuses on the absence of prior occurrence, lacking the 'then' specifying a timeframe.

until that moment, never

Reorders the elements to stress the lack of prior experience up to that instance.

before that time, never

Similar to the previous one, but uses 'before that time' instead of 'until that moment'.

only then, for the first time

Highlights the novelty and the specific timing of the event.

at no other time

Broader scope suggesting a lack of occurrence at any point other than the one specified.

prior to that, not ever

Emphasizes the complete absence of the event before the specified moment.

until then, not once

Highlights the fact that something happened not even once until then.

never prior to this

Formal and less conversational way of saying something happened for the first time.

up to that point, never

Highlights that a particular limit has never been exceeded until a specific moment.

FAQs

How can I use "then never before" in a sentence?

Use "then never before" to highlight a unique occurrence following a specific condition or time. For example, 'He had felt nervous before, but "then never before" had he felt so terrified'.

What does "then never before" emphasize in a sentence?

"Then never before" stresses the unprecedented nature of an event, indicating that something has not happened until that specific moment. It adds emphasis to the novelty of the situation.

Are there formal alternatives to "then never before"?

Formal alternatives include phrases like "not until then", "at no other time", or "previously never". These alternatives offer similar meaning while maintaining a more formal tone.

Is "then never before" grammatically correct?

Yes, "then never before" is grammatically correct, although somewhat uncommon. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and provides examples of its usage in various contexts.