From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishno sooner/hardly had ... thanno sooner/hardly had ... thanused to say that one thing happens immediately after another thing No sooner had I got into the house than the phone rang. Hardly had they reached Edinburgh than they were ordered to return to London. → than
Examples from the Corpus
no sooner/hardly had ... than• But no sooner had Miriam gone than Harry suddenly returned looking more cheerful than one might have expected.• Alas, no sooner had he started than he realised it was no longer what he wanted.• No sooner had he gone than one of the cameramen approached.• No sooner had it begun than the rain seemed to end. 