Meaning & use
within the week
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
before the present week ends; at some point in the next seven days or by the end of this week
Grammar: Used as a time phrase at the end of a sentence or after a verb; it does not take an object.
Patterns
- happen within the week
- finish something within the week
- expect something within the week
The repair should be done within the week.
We need to send the report within the week.
She promised to call me back within the week.
Common combinations
- within the week
- The package will arrive within the week.
- complete something within the week
- Please complete the form within the week.
- within the week of
- The decision was made within the week of the meeting.
Synonyms and how they differ
- by the end of the week
- Means the same but is more common in everyday speech and does not always suggest a full seven-day period.
- in a week
- Can mean after seven days have passed, so it is less precise about finishing before the week ends.
Commonly confused: within the week or in the week?
within the week vs in the week
British English 'in the week' often means during the working days (Monday to Friday), not before the week ends.
Practice
Choose the best sentence using 'within the week'.
Choose one answer.
'Within the week' is a fixed phrase with 'the'. Option 1 misses 'the'; option 2 uses a past time phrase that does not fit; option 3 uses the plural 'weeks', which is not part of the fixed phrase.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “within the week”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.