From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishas late as somethingas late as somethingRECENTLYused to express surprise that something considered old-fashioned was still happening so recently Capital punishment was still used in Britain as late as the 1950s. → late
Examples from the Corpus
as late as something• Du Pont was seen walking from room to room in the house as late as midnight, officials said.• He could party as late as he wanted, come and go as he pleased.• Individuals accounted for more than three-quarters of trading as late as three years ago.• Installed in 1906, I saw the piping in full service as late as 1985.• It was as if they had left it as late as possible to take maximum advantage of credit.• Snow may linger as late as mid-July.• The cabinet was informed as late as possible; even ministers on the poll-tax review committee were not told what was coming.• The return of Communists to power seemed possible even as late as the presidential runoff between Zyuganov and Yeltsin in July.