as in former
having been such at some previous time
the once child star is now a lawyer in the entertainment industry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in when
just at the moment that
you should have stopped wrestling once you knew someone was getting hurt, not five minutes later
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of once
Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
Now in their mid 30s they’re being forced to return home and finish high school once and for all.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 6 Oct. 2025
Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Apr. 2025
The price target increases come as industry giant BYD last week announced ultra-fast charging technology, on top of its launch in February of driver-assist systems for a range of its cars — signaling the once niche feature is going mainstream.
—Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 23 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for once
Adverb
Nkrumah and Lumumba had once agreed, secretly, to form a Ghana-Congo federation.
—Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
Now in their mid 30s they’re being forced to return home and finish high school once and for all.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
You might be left with tiny scratches that make your once pristine appliances and surfaces look less than stellar.
—Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Apr. 2025
The price target increases come as industry giant BYD last week announced ultra-fast charging technology, on top of its launch in February of driver-assist systems for a range of its cars — signaling the once niche feature is going mainstream.
—Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 23 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for once
Recent Examples of Synonyms for once
Adverb
-
The Republican Party of Arkansas wants a primary election -- not a convention of the delegates -- to select its nominee in the special election for the House District 70 seat formerly held by Carlton Wing, R-North Little Rock, party Chairman Joseph Wood said Thursday.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Leader of Warlock Warden is formerly the leader of his own heavy metal band.—
Rick Mauch,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The firm appointed former US General and CIA Director David Petraeus as Chairman of KKR Middle East in April and formed a dedicated regional investment team.—
Mohammed Sergie,
semafor.com,
9 Oct. 2025
-
Chinese Premier Li Qiang and former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will have front row seats at the event which, according to satellite imagery of apparent rehearsals, could include a large-scale mass gymnastics performance.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
But that’s exactly what the 48-year-old CEO advises that Gen Zers today, who are struggling to get a footing and even getting fired months into new roles, should embrace.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Despite appearances to the contrary—the swirling sentences, the feverish intellection—there is nothing hermetic about Krasznahorkai’s work, both old and new, which squarely faces contemporary European reality and its perils, including the tortured dynamics of settlement, movement, and identity.—
James Wood,
New Yorker,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Analysts have raised the possibility that North Korea’s next-generation Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), its new Hwasong-11 Ma hypersonic glide vehicle, and other advanced weapons systems will be on display.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
9 Oct. 2025
-
An end to the fighting is expected to lead to rapid increases in the supply of food and other basic needs.—
Greg Myre,
NPR,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Worried that Dessalines’s enemies might eventually force upon him the same fate suffered by his erstwhile friend and ally, Christophe refused to be sworn into office.—
Marlene L. Daut
September 22,
Literary Hub,
22 Sep. 2025
-
Being able to generate code was finally getting a chance to shine in the bright lights of another erstwhile reason to use generative AI and LLMs.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Williams — joined by family members, current and past KU coaches, players and support staff — on Tuesday afternoon cut the ribbon on the room that bears his name.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Multiple FAs in past years have mentioned the reputation of the city, but there must be something else as well.—
Andrew Baggarly,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
They were not allowed to stay in private homes — annoying for sometime Paris resident Serena Williams — but could eat out at Paris restaurants.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2025
-
In the next scene, Ed treats his first fan—his sometime girlfriend Adeline Watkins—to the spectacle of a dead, nude woman, eviscerated and strung up like a carcass in a slaughterhouse.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Bloodthirsty activist investors are on track to topple more CEOs in 2025 than ever before, according to Barclays’ latest quarterly review of shareholder activism.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
8 Oct. 2025
-
While addressing her health and giving fans an update on her well-being, Dolly, 79, also spoke about how her late husband Carl Dean's illness and death affected her.—
Marina Watts,
PEOPLE,
8 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Once.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/once. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share