at best

phrase

: under the most favorable circumstances
won't be finished for another three months at best
At best, you will earn back what you paid in.
He's an average writer at best.
… was among the worst schools in a city whose public education could be described as struggling, at best.—Ann Carrns

Examples of at best in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Rainfall in the Central Valley will be light at best, but up to an inch will be possible or areas along the coast as the low pushes cold moist air over land. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 16 Oct. 2026 Grace is, at best, her frenemy; Roylin is dead; and Thema Asseidu-Dennison is grieving. — Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026 By his reckoning, lithium-ion technology is at best 20% of the way through its maturity curve, maybe 10% by conservative estimates. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026 Those types of responses have riled her critics, who have portrayed her as indecisive at best, and an opportunist at worst. — David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for at best

Word History

First Known Use

1556, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of at best was in 1556

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Cite this Entry

“At best.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/at%20best. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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