How to use "towards the end of the day"

What Does "towards the end of the day" Mean?

• It expresses approximation of time, indicating something happens close to the conclusion of the day but not necessarily precisely at the end.
• It typically modifies the verb or the entire clause, specifying when the action occurred.
• Register: neutral

How to Use It

• Typical sentence positions: While it can appear in initial, mid, or final positions, it's most natural in the initial or final position. For example: "Towards the end of the day, we went home." or "We went home towards the end of the day."
• It modifies the verb or the clause, indicating the timing of the action. It adds temporal context, specifying when the described event occurred.
• Grammatical flexibility: It can be fronted for emphasis, but it is not typically used with negation or in questions without rephrasing. For example, instead of "Didn't you do that towards the end of the day?" one would say, "Did you do that closer to the end of the day, or earlier?"
• What sounds unnatural or incorrect: Placing it awkwardly in the middle of a verb phrase can sound unnatural (e.g., "We towards the end of the day went home.").

Real-World Examples

These examples are sourced from towards the end of the day on Ludwig.guru.

"Towards the end of the day, we came to a crossroads flooded with thousands of people." — The Guardian

"European markets also fell in early trading before recovering towards the end of the day." — The Guardian - Business

"After the school run towards the end of the day I'll often continue working, supervising some of the evening sessions of our therapists over the internet from home." — The Guardian

"Six hours of rehearsal time have been allocated to the orchestra today, with all three soloists joining us towards the end of the day." — The Guardian - Music

"Towards the end of the day, it tweeted: "Personal banking customers should now be able to access the mobile app, although we continue to work on a fix for desktop users"" — The Guardian - Business

Examples sourced from https://ludwig.guru/s/towards+the+end+of+the+day

Similar Phrases and Alternatives

Phrase	Context
late in the day	Similar meaning, but can also imply that something is happening later than it should.
as the day wore on	Emphasizes the passage of time during the day.
near the close of day	More formal and literary.
at day's end	Concise and can be used in both formal and informal contexts.
by evening	General timeframe, not necessarily the very end of the day.
in the late afternoon	More specific timeframe; may be earlier than "towards the end of the day".
close to sunset	More poetic and tied to the visual event of sunset.

Common Mistakes

• Wrong position: Inserting the phrase awkwardly into the middle of the verb phrase (e.g., "He towards the end of the day finished the report.") sounds unnatural.
• Overuse: Relying on the phrase too frequently can make writing repetitive; vary with synonyms.
• Learners often confuse this with similar phrases containing different prepositions or use the wrong preposition, such as "at the end of the day" which has a slightly different meaning.

Quick-Reference Summary

Expression	Function	Register	Typical Position
Towards the end of the day	Indicates approximate time	Neutral	Initial or final

FAQs

Where should I place "towards the end of the day" in a sentence?

"Towards the end of the day" is most naturally placed at the beginning or end of a sentence. Placing it at the beginning, like "Towards the end of the day, I felt exhausted," provides temporal context upfront. Alternatively, placing it at the end, like "I felt exhausted towards the end of the day," maintains a natural flow.

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How is "towards the end of the day" different from "at the end of the day"?

"Towards the end of the day" implies that something happens close to the end of the day, but not necessarily right at the very last moment. "At the end of the day" can suggest the absolute final moments, or it can be used idiomatically to mean "in conclusion" or "when all is said and done," which towards the end of the day cannot.

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What's a common mistake people make when using "towards the end of the day", and how can I avoid it?

A common mistake is confusing "towards the end of the day" with similar phrases and using the wrong preposition. Remember that "towards" indicates an approximation of time, while "at" may indicate a specific time or a concluding thought. To avoid this, always consider whether you mean near the end of the day or exactly at the end, both literally and figuratively.