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
Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2025
Modding support and device modularity should open it up for wider, unimagined uses once end-users get their hands on it, too.
—PC Magazine, 3 Nov. 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
People magazine reported that the former royal's biography once included notes on his service in the Royal Navy, in addition to his history as the third child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.
—Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2025
Modding support and device modularity should open it up for wider, unimagined uses once end-users get their hands on it, too.
—PC Magazine, 3 Nov. 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
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Yung Lean spoke about his relationship with Ye (formerly Kanye West) and Travis Scott in a new interview with The New York Times Popcast.—
Mackenzie Cummings-Grady,
Billboard,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Two of three runways at the airport are open for operations, according to a post on X, formerly Twitter.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Parente, a former federal prosecutor, has often described the incident leading up to the shooting as nothing more than a minor car accident.—
Omar Jimenez,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
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He was appointed interim commissioner in August following the retirement of former Commissioner Alan McClain.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The Chinese retailer, known for its range of cheap ultra-fast-fashion clothing and criticisms of its labor and environmental practices, is nestled on the sixth floor of a more than century-old building in Paris, a city famous for high-end fashion and a recent green push.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
7 Nov. 2025
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In contexts not concerning the elite private colleges of New England and their decades-old conflicts and syllabi and on-campus squabbles, this mode of prestige media procedure matters absolutely and enormously, at scales difficult to tabulate.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The research team underlined that the future work will explore other co-intercalants and optimize electrolytes for even wider temperature ranges.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Nov. 2025
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That’s a significant contrast to other parts of the Forbidden City, marked by wide open spaces intended to represent the grandeur of imperial power and territory.—
Fred He,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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For one, Chicago is getting numb to seeing its erstwhile heroes in another city’s colors by now.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
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With a gun to the head of the Libyan ambassador, Tara bypasses her erstwhile father-figure Whelan to speak to Taverner, demanding £100 million in a Cayman Islands account and safe escort out of the country.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
DeCosta has taken some notable swings before past deadlines, acquiring the likes of middle linebacker Roquan Smith, cornerback Marcus Peters and edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue.—
Jeff Zrebiec,
New York Times,
5 Nov. 2025
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New York rents have always been a running joke for most of the country, but the market has been in overdrive these past few years.—
Clio Chang,
Curbed,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Donald had a new lady called Marla Maples, who was a sometime actress, putting it delicately.—
Michael Schulman,
New Yorker,
12 Oct. 2025
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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
Adjective
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Hall could not be reached immediately for comment by telephone late Wednesday afternoon.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Nov. 2025
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In late 2020 and early 2021, under 6 percent of mortgaged homebuyers were using VA loans, according to Redfin.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Once.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/once. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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