all along

403 1.5

During the whole time from the start

idiom

: todo el tiempo

Was I running from my family all along?
knew all along
right all along
been there all along

Like this has been me all along and in many ways has left them.

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Examples

- I knew it was you all along.

Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls (2023)
It's what you were meant to be doing all along.

Magic Mike's Last Dance (2023)
You knew what this game was all along?

Livescreamers (2023)
You knew all along, and you still brought us here?

Death Tunnel (2005)
The solution had been there all along: to treat her as his father had treated him.

Fiction book (1991)
I realized she'd been there all along.

The Night Listener (2006)
The intention of the United States all along had been to resolve the land issue.

Academic text (1995)
We were right all along, Tibby.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005)
It was here all along.

Now Is Good (2012)
I knew you were right all along.

Synonyms

always

vsall along

∞ 1.0

On every occasion without exception

indicates continuity from the beginning rather than merely repeated occasions

all the time

vsall along

∞ 1.0

Happens without stopping

stresses being continuous from the start rather than general habitual occurrence

all the while

vsall along

45 2.9

During the whole time that something is happening

describes continuous presence from the start without linking to another event

perpetually

vsall along

29 4.8

Happening all the time without stopping

means continuous too but is more neutral and less intense in tone

from start to finish

vsall along

22 2.1

For the whole time, from the beginning to the end

focuses more on continuous presence across time rather than stages

throughout

vsall along

3 1.2

During the whole time of an event from start to finish

is the same meaning but is a more common short expression

end-to-end

vsall along

1 4.6

For the whole time from the start to the finish

highlights ongoing continuity across the period rather than process completeness

How Continuous

all along

403 1.5

throughout

3 1.2

often

∞ 1.0

sometimes

∞ 1.0

occasionally

438 2.0

Surface Forms

all along positive

Morphology

all + along

The meaning 'throughout the whole period' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'all' (the whole/entire) with 'along' (continuously/throughout), forming a simple compositional temporal phrase. This is a common, cross-linguistic pattern and a B1 learner who knows the constituents will very likely infer the MWE meaning without prior exposure.

Etymology

All along comes from a simple picture: imagine something running along the whole length so all parts are covered. That's why it means 'throughout the whole time' or 'from the beginning'.