within hours

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'within hours' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when describing something that will happen or occurred in a short period of time. For example, "The new law will go into effect within hours."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

Within hours everything changed.

The New York Times

Probably within hours.

The New York Times

They both died within hours.

Independent

He was dead within hours.

The New Yorker

Within hours, plague was confirmed.

The New York Times - Health

Within hours, he was dead.

The New York Times

Within hours, she was fired.

The Guardian - Tech

Jesus is arrested within hours.

The New Yorker

A reply came within hours.

The New York Times - Sports

A response arrived within hours.

The New York Times

Within hours, she was paralyzed.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "within hours" to create a sense of urgency or immediacy in your writing. For instance, "The company responded to the crisis within hours, reassuring investors and the public."

Common error

Avoid using "within hours" when a more specific timeframe is known and relevant. If you know something happened in 30 minutes, stating "within hours" is less precise and could be misleading.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "within hours" functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying a verb to indicate when an action occurred. It specifies that the action happened in a relatively short timeframe. As Ludwig AI indicates, the phrase is grammatically correct.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

98%

Science

1%

Formal & Business

1%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "within hours" is a versatile and grammatically sound phrase used to express that something occurs in a short timeframe. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, its common usage is prevalent in news reporting to convey immediacy, with its versatility making it applicable across various contexts. When using "within hours", precision is key; if the timeframe is more specific, it's best to use more exact wording to avoid misleading your audience.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

in a matter of hours

This alternative emphasizes the brevity of the time period.

in a few hours

This suggests a slightly less urgent timeframe, still indicating a short duration.

shortly thereafter

This phrase indicates that something happened soon after a previous event.

soon after

A simpler way to convey that something occurred quickly following something else.

almost immediately

Highlights the near instantaneous nature of the subsequent event.

very quickly

Emphasizes the speed with which something happened.

in rapid succession

This implies that multiple events happened one after another with little delay.

on the heels of

Suggests that something followed immediately after another event.

right after

A more informal way of saying that something occurred immediately after something else.

in short order

Implies that something was accomplished or occurred promptly and efficiently.

FAQs

How can I use "within hours" in a sentence?

You can use "within hours" to indicate that something happened or will happen in a short amount of time. For example, "The paramedics arrived "within hours" of the accident."

What's a more formal alternative to "within hours"?

While "within hours" is suitable for most contexts, a more formal alternative could be "in a matter of hours" or "shortly thereafter".

Is it correct to say "in the next hours" instead of "within hours"?

While "in the next few hours" is acceptable, "within hours" is more concise and commonly used to express the same meaning. Consider that "in the next few hours" limits the extension of the timeframe.

Can "within hours" be used to describe something that will happen in the distant future?

No, "within hours" implies a short timeframe, typically less than a day. For events in the distant future, use phrases like "in the coming days", "in the future" or "eventually".