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.
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Recent Examples of once
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 11 July 2025
As a teenager, Jeff and his family moved once again, this time settling down in Florida.
—Alex Gurley, People.com, 29 June 2025
Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 14 Jan. 2025
For Silver, there can no peace until the new school, and the resurgence of Cobra Kai headed by his once friend and now nemesis Kreese, gets some payback.
—Demetrius Patterson, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for once
Adverb
Continue to deadhead dahlias throughout their blooming season, as often as once a week, to maximize their flower production.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 11 July 2025
As a teenager, Jeff and his family moved once again, this time settling down in Florida.
—Alex Gurley, People.com, 29 June 2025
Adjective
But Smith also had some choice words for the once and future president.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 14 Jan. 2025
For Silver, there can no peace until the new school, and the resurgence of Cobra Kai headed by his once friend and now nemesis Kreese, gets some payback.
—Demetrius Patterson, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for once
Recent Examples of Synonyms for once
Adverb
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The shares are enjoying a floor of support from the formerly resistant $55 level, with a historically bullish trendline just below.—
Schaeffer's Investment Research,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
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This year’s lead underwriter so far is Cantor Fitzgerald, the financial services firm formerly led by U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.—
Luisa Beltran,
Fortune,
1 July 2025
Adjective
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However, a lawsuit against the university by three former women's swimmers over their experience in sharing a team with Thomas is still active.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
2 July 2025
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Somehow, the Dolphins’ general manager and head coach found a way to turn two difficult situations into a playmaking safety, whose return gives Grier a chance to right one of his former wrongs.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
1 July 2025
Adjective
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Difficulty breathing Irregular heartbeat Cardiac arrest (heart attack) Adults 19 and older should not take more than 350 mg of magnesium per day to avoid side effects and reduce the chance of toxicity.10 7.—
Sarah Bence,
Verywell Health,
11 July 2025
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The current challenge to the gondola project is 16 months old and counting.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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But once those issues were resolved, random drop-in visits from Social Services workers over the next decade yielded no citations or other issues.—
Karen Kucher,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 July 2025
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This is one of the countless reasons the Secret Service prides ourselves on forging and maintaining relationships with other law enforcement agencies.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
12 July 2025
Adjective
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But the real question is what kind of concrete retribution Trump could try to exact on his erstwhile political ally and campaign donor.—
Alexei Oreskovic,
Fortune,
7 July 2025
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On the way to the Fordyce’s second floor, the erstwhile opulence along Bathhouse Row becomes evident.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
30 June 2025
Adjective
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Bedford's past efforts to lower pilot training requirements remain a concern for the pilots union and many senators.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
10 July 2025
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Much of the Fusion’s back half looked as if it’d been sheared off, the muffler, the spare tire, and the fuel door the clearest surviving indications of its past form.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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Toss in his old girlfriend Lucy and her sometime boyfriend and former cop Chuck Littlefield, and enjoy the ride in this sweet, sharp book.—
Ashley Baker,
Air Mail,
7 June 2025
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That’s because her daughter and sometime musical companion Willow had cooked up her own homebrew tribute to the Great White Way.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
10 June 2025
Adjective
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There are certainly fluctuations of good and bad news all across the gaming industry, but more often than not as of late, the Xbox brand seems to be squandering its goodwill by saying one thing and then doing another over and over again.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
5 July 2025
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His latest record, Demos, was released earlier this year.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
People.com,
5 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Once.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/once. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.
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