Late example sentences

Related (12): delayed, tardy, overdue, deceased, departed, recent, latter, belated, untimely, punctual, early, timely

"Late" Example Sentences

The train was running twenty minutes late again this morning.
She showed up late to her own birthday party, which was honestly kind of funny.
He's been working late every night this week and looks absolutely exhausted.
I realized too late that I'd sent the email to the wrong person.
My late grandmother used to make these cookies every Christmas without fail.
Getting there late meant we missed the opening act entirely.
Why are you always late when we have somewhere important to be?
It's getting late and I should probably head home before the buses stop running.
She texted that she'd be late, so I ordered an extra coffee and waited.
The late afternoon sun was hitting the office windows just right.
He came to regret his decision, but by then it was far too late.
They announced the cancellation so late that half the people had already shown up.
I've been staying up late reading that book — I can't put it down.
My late father would have loved seeing his grandchildren grow up.
The store closes late on Fridays, so we can go after work.
She was never late before, so when she didn't show up, I knew something was wrong.
It's getting late in the season and the weather's starting to turn.
He realized late in the conversation that she'd been joking the whole time.
The late shift workers always look like they're running on fumes.
I hate when people call me late at night with drama I didn't sign up for.
By late summer, the garden was completely overgrown.
She'd been crying, and I arrived too late to stop whatever had happened.
The meeting ran late, so I missed my train home.
His late wife had been a painter, and her work still hung throughout the house.
We're running late — can you grab your coat and meet me at the car?
It's never too late to apologize, though it might feel that way sometimes.
The late news anchor had a way of making even bad news feel manageable.
I found out late that they'd been planning this the whole time without me.
She works late most nights because she genuinely loves what she does.
The late 1990s were a weird time for fashion, looking back on it now.

Common Phrases

better late than never
running late
late at night
it's getting late
too late
late in the day
the late (person's name)
work late
stay up late
late shift
late afternoon
come late to something
arrive late
show up late

Examples by Level

The bus is late today.
My grandfather was late, so we remember him.

She arrived late to class and the teacher was not happy about it.
It's getting late, so we should go home now.

He came to the party late, but everyone was still happy to see him.
Looking back, I realize I figured it out way too late to make a difference.

She'd been working late so often that her colleagues barely recognized her during daylight hours.
The late discovery of the error meant they had to redo months of work.

What struck him most was how late in life he'd finally understood what his late mother had been trying to tell him all along.
The late afternoon light gave everything a quality of melancholy that seemed almost deliberate.

There's a particular kind of regret that comes with realizing, far too late, that you'd misunderstood someone's intentions entirely.
She'd made her peace with the late arrival of recognition, understanding that validation from others had never been the point.

Examples by Scenario

🏠 Everyday Life

I was running late this morning and forgot my keys on the kitchen counter.
The neighbors were having a party and it went way too late — I finally gave up trying to sleep at 2 AM.

💼 Workplace

He's been staying late to finish the project, and honestly it's starting to worry me.
The meeting ran late, so now everyone's behind on their afternoon tasks.

📊 Business

The late delivery of materials pushed back our entire production timeline by two weeks.
We discovered the accounting error late in the quarter, which complicated everything.

🛒 Buying / Shopping

I went to the store late and half the good stuff was already picked over.
The sale ends late tonight, so I'm thinking about making a last-minute run.

✈️ Travel

Our flight was running two hours late, and the airport was a complete mess.
We arrived late to the hotel and the night clerk was surprisingly patient about checking us in.

📚 Education

She's been staying up late studying for finals and looks like she's about to crash.
The teacher marked him late three times this month, which is affecting his grade.

❤️ Relationships

He showed up late to dinner and didn't even apologize — that's when I knew something was really wrong.
We got together late in life, but it feels like we were always meant to find each other.

📰 News / Politics

The government's response came too late to prevent the crisis from spiraling.
Late reports suggest the senator may have known about the scandal months earlier.

💻 Technology

The software update rolled out late and caused more problems than it solved.
I realized too late that I should have backed up my files before the crash.

📝 Formal Writing

The late submission of the proposal resulted in its exclusion from the review process.
Documentation of the late nineteenth century reveals significant shifts in industrial practice.