1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

once 1 of 3

adverb

ˈwən(t)s How to pronounce once (audio)
Definition of oncenext
as in formerly
at an earlier or previous time I once knew the quotation, but time has taken its toll on my brain cells

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

once

2 of 3

adjective

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

once

3 of 3

conjunction

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
Adverb
The park’s Spooner’s Cove, named after a family that once resided here, was another gathering spot. — David G. Allan, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026 The truck pulled off the highway once for less than a minute to reset the hazard lights which had come on for some unknown reason. — Phil Lebeau,meghan Reeder, CNBC, 22 Sep. 2026
Adjective
Joseph Duggar's arrest is the latest fall from grace for the once picture-perfect Duggar family. — Melina Khan, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026 The once summer home became a residential dwelling once more. — Nandika Chatterjee, Time, 5 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for once
Recent Examples of Synonyms for once
  1. formerly
  2. former
  3. old
  4. other
  5. erstwhile
  6. past
  7. sometime
  8. late
Adverb
  • Morando, the drummer of alt-rock band Liily and formerly of the Regrettes, co-wrote and produced a couple of tracks on 2023’s Endless Summer Vacation.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Imports, formerly Nigeria’s main source of petrol before Dangote, declined from accounting for 60% of domestic supply all of last year to just over 20% between January and July in 2026, per the agency’s data.
    — Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of formerly
Adjective
  • This time, the TPLF appears to have mobilized widely, bringing together former foes in its stated goal of removing Abiy from power in Addis Ababa, the federal capital.
    — SAMUEL GETACHEW, Arkansas Online, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Zeughauskeller, set inside a former armory, is another classic spot that serves Swiss staples like rösti.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of former
Adjective
  • Cora, 5, and Dawson, 3, died at the scene, but their youngest, 8-month-old Callan, was still alive when first responders arrived.
    — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Also on the agenda is Russia's more than four-year-old war in Ukraine.
    — Antoni Slodkowski Reuters, Arkansas Online, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of old
Adjective
  • In other cases, Virginia prosecutors have previously brought their own expert witnesses to counter an insanity defense at trials or even disputed the claims without their own expert, according to reports and court records.
    — Hudson Crozier, The Washington Examiner, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Even though the analysis adjusted for several potential confounding factors, other unmeasured factors could still contribute to the observed relationship.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of other
Adjective
  • The Project’s ranks now include about 80 fishermen manning 15 boats who also support the tagging and research of their erstwhile prey (their work has led to the recent world-first tagging of 10 tiger sharks in Indonesian waters).
    — Juliet Kinsman, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Three plays later, Kirk Cousins found Cody White with an 11-yard pass, the second touchdown of the day for the erstwhile practice-squad receiver.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of erstwhile
Adjective
  • Much of the worry from locals came from hurricanes in past years that devastated cities along the Pacific coast.
    — MEGAN JANETSKY, Arkansas Online, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Serving as master of ceremonies for the entire shebang will be Snoop Dogg, who is not stranger to hosting duties given his past gigs co-hosting such events as NBC’s Olympics coverage.
    — Kimberly Nordyke, HollywoodReporter, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of past
Adjective
  • Titled Becky and Miranda, the series will be a dark comedy from veteran YouTube creator Nolke and co-star her sometime-collaborator Nicole Power (Kim’s Convenience).
    — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026
  • By the end of his life, Irving had established himself as a respected biographer and a sometime international diplomat.
    — Eric Lach, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of sometime
Adjective
  • The backstory For most of my life, the Old Dutch Inn has been just a faint memory of kicking my legs from a bar stool, drinking a Shirley Temple next to my late grandmother, who would likely have been nursing a gin and tonic.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026
  • According to reports in September 2025, CATL’s European general manager Matt Shen informed that the company had been aiming to start production in late 2025 or early 2026.
    — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of late

Phrases Containing once

Browse Nearby Words

onanistic
once
once in a blue moon
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Once.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/once. Accessed 25 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of tactile

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 25
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of the words cracker fly and sale arranged in a triangle with the word fire in the middle
Triple Play Quiz Find the word that pairs with each of the three g...
See All