word choice - "To date" versus "until now"


Is there a difference between these two expressions? Are they perfect synonyms?



Answer



"To date" implies that the current state is unchanged from the previous state, while "until now" implies that it has just changed. For instance:



To date, the Foos have never won a game.



Would mean the Foos have not won a game.



Until now, the Foos never won a game.



Would mean that they just won their first game.


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