by now
prep. phr..prep. phr.. you use this to say that something should have happened already or is likely true at this moment.
prep. phr.. an adverbial phrase indicating that an action or state is expected to have been completed or established by the current moment.
The train should be here by now.
I sent the email three hours ago, so he should have read it by now.
Given the rapid pace of technological advancement, one might have expected a more sustainable solution to have emerged by now.
often used with modal verbs like 'should' or 'must' to express an expectation or a logical guess.
contrast with 'already' (which focuses on the completion) versus 'by now' (which focuses on the deadline of the present moment passing).
Until now, the package should be here.By now, the package should be here.'Until now' describes a continuous state up to the present, while 'by now' refers to a point in time where an event is expected to be finished.