time will tell

Idioms

Sooner or later something will become known or be revealed, as in I don't know whether or not they'll like the reconstruction; only time will tell. This proverbial phrase dates from the early 1500s.

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.

Only time will tell if the FA's work has paid off for the 2027 World Cup, but Smith believes there is enough depth coming through England's youth teams.

From BBC

Time will tell if the Burger King exec’s outreach is seen more as a publicity stunt, or if it’s really about listening to customers and learning from them.

From MarketWatch

When I asked another how big a crisis this was, they said: "Only time will tell. It needs to be judged over the calm passage of time and the response will be to the issues not the headlines."

From BBC

Time will tell just how important those saves - those wins - will be, but City are now in a position from which they have flourished before.

From BBC

And only time will tell which side of this debate is right.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023