up until
Before the moment
Up until marks the endpoint of a duration, emphasizing the continuous stretch of time before that point: Up until last year, I'd never been abroad.
It's interchangeable with until alone, though up until often adds slight emphasis on the preceding period.
She was fine up until the accident.
Prior in time
- priorExisting before another
- previousOccurring before another
- earlierAt a prior time
- precedingComing before in order
antecedent · foregoing · lead-up · buildup · duration · continuity · timeline · chronology
Maximum allowed extent
- pointExact location or meaning
- thresholdPoint of beginning
- capCovering for top
- ceilingRoom's upper surface
cutoff · maximum · endpoint · demarcation · barrier · constraint · extent · reach
Coming toward something
- imminentAbout to occur
- impendingSoon to occur
- forthcomingSoon to appear
- pendingAwaiting resolution or decision
expectation · awaiting · prospect · eventuality · onset · advent · nearness · run-up
Just before deadline
- eleventh-hourAt the latest possible moment
- countdownBackward enumeration to zero
- submissionYielding to another's will
- cut-offSeparated or terminated
urgency · time-limit · crunch · finalization · expiration · completion
before
Prior in time
preceding · antecedent · foregoing · lead-up · buildup · duration · continuity · timeline · chronology · sequence
limit
Maximum allowed extent
ceiling · cutoff · maximum · endpoint · demarcation · barrier · constraint · extent · reach · range
approaching
Coming toward something
- imminentAbout to occur
- impendingSoon to occur
- forthcomingSoon to appear
pending · expectation · awaiting · prospect · eventuality · onset · advent · nearness · run-up
last-minute
Just before deadline
- eleventh-hourAt the latest possible moment
- countdownBackward enumeration to zero
- submissionYielding to another's will
cut-off · urgency · time-limit · crunch · finalization · expiration · completion