Can awhile be used after a preposition?: Usage Guide
Although considered a solecism by many commentators, awhile, like several other adverbs of time and place, is often used as the object of a preposition.
David Yeadon
Examples of awhile in a Sentence
Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 13 Feb. 2024
After awhile, perhaps a couple of years, the state yanks back the carrot for a wave of vehicles.
—Jim Radcliffe, Orange County Register, 9 Feb. 2024
Walking through the center of Aachen, Germany, the city feels as if it’s been around awhile.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 2024
For the rest of Chicago’s commercial property market, returning to normal will take awhile.
—Isis Almeida, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2024
And with March fast approaching, her milestone underscored what also should have been obvious for awhile.
—Dan Wolken, USA TODAY, 16 Feb. 2024
Chiefs fans who have been around for awhile know, though, that stylish Brittany is nothing new.
—Hedy Phillips, Peoplemag, 12 Feb. 2024
Phoenix Upper Main carries on legacy Though the demolition of the four Main Street Ellicott City buildings has been ongoing for awhile, the work has become more visible in recent weeks as scaffolding went up and exterior work began.
—Allana Haynes, Baltimore Sun, 18 Jan. 2024
After their week of working and bonding, though, the project was in limbo for awhile.
—Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 9 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'awhile.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
adverbial use of a while (written as one word sporadically since Middle English), going back to Middle English awhile, one while, going back to Old English āne hwīle — more at a entry 2, while entry 1
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above
Articles Related to awhile
Dictionary Entries Near awhile
Cite this Entry
“Awhile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/awhile. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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awhile
adverb
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