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afterthought

[af-ter-thawt, ahf-] / ˈæf tərˌθɔt, ˈɑf- /
NOUN
idea that occurs after it is timely
Synonyms
Antonyms


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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Rural lives "cannot be an afterthought" when it comes to health transformation, campaigners have said.

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

They weren’t an afterthought; their interests were not considered at all.

From Slate ● Sep. 15, 2026

"If we want global biodiversity targets to mean something, tropical insects cannot remain an afterthought," Dr. Chowdhury said.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 9, 2026

I watched a sixth-round afterthought — the 199th pick in the draft, a kid nobody had wanted on their team — walk onto the field and start rewriting what was possible.

From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026

Finny got up from the cot, picking up his cane as an afterthought.

From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles

So these are not just sort of weird random afterthoughts or vestiges.

From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026

The sport was so closely woven into the fabric of Nordic culture that U.S. skiers knew they started every race as mere afterthoughts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 19, 2026

Following his death, some wondered if he had wound up in a rough-and-tumble league where skill and technique are afterthoughts.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 30, 2023

The inclusion only continued from there, making it clear that these characters weren't just afterthoughts but carefully considered forethoughts.

From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2023

He ate hot eggs, warm bread, reveled in steaming tea, although the water from which the tea was made left an aftertaste in the mouth, afterthoughts in the brain: from what nearby bam?

From "The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War" by Michael Shaara


Vocabulary lists containing afterthought

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