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
Jericka Duncan,
CBS News,
28 June 2026
Deniz Undav, with three goals, and Kai Havertz, with two, are the only Germans who have scored more than once.
—
Los Angeles Times,
28 June 2026
Nandika Chatterjee,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
The flights through the once Category 5 storm have been particularly hairy, with one of the NOAA aircraft having to return to its base for a safety inspection after exceeding its g-force limits from the turbulence.
—
Andrew Freedman,
CNN Money,
31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for once
Adverb
Cohen also invited Tom DeWolf, whose family was once the largest slave-trader in the United States, to join him.
—
Jericka Duncan,
CBS News,
28 June 2026
Deniz Undav, with three goals, and Kai Havertz, with two, are the only Germans who have scored more than once.
—
Los Angeles Times,
28 June 2026
Adjective
The once summer home became a residential dwelling once more.
—
Nandika Chatterjee,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
The flights through the once Category 5 storm have been particularly hairy, with one of the NOAA aircraft having to return to its base for a safety inspection after exceeding its g-force limits from the turbulence.
—
Andrew Freedman,
CNN Money,
31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for once
Recent Examples of Synonyms for once
Adverb
-
Their agents also knew this and assuredly would have shared that risk assessment with their clients (especially for Veesaar and Evans, both of whom are repped by The Team — formerly Wasserman — an agency that sent multiple potential first-round picks back to school this draft cycle).
-
The Twin Cities Irish Fest, formerly known as the Irish Fair of Minnesota, is hosting a block party bash as a celebration of the local Irish community and a fundraiser for the annual August festival.
Adjective
-
Illapa Sairitupac, Democratic New York State assembly candidate, from left, Zohran Mamdani, mayor of New York, and Brad Lander, former New York City comptroller and US Democratic House candidate for New York, campaign during a primary election in New York, US, on Tuesday, June 23, 2026.
-
Cendejas is a partner at the Strategy Group and has worked with several notable winning political campaigns, including San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie and Wahab’s first run for Senate against former Fremont Mayor Lily Mei in 2022.
Adjective
-
On Tuesday night, the New York Post reported that the woman had been identified as Angie Baez, a 40-year-old financial industry executive.
-
As for 29-year-old Greenway notched six points in 40 games with the Sabres last season and scored three points in 13 Stanley Cup Playoff games with Buffalo during the 2025-26 campaign.
Adjective
-
Barnacles, mussels, clams, algae and other warm-seawater-dwelling fauna and flora have latched onto oil tankers hundreds of massive oil tankers anchored in the Persian Gulf over the past several months.
-
This handheld vacuum has a lightweight design and strong suction to clean debris in hard-to-reach areas behind the couch, in the car, and other hard-to-reach areas.
Adjective
-
The erstwhile New York resident was loudly and vigorously booed by the hometown crowd as he was shown on the jumbotron of the legendary arena.
-
Despite his meltdown in Colorado’s extra-inning loss to Milwaukee Friday night, the erstwhile starter has been one of baseball’s best relievers this season.
Adjective
-
His past civic engagement includes involvement with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library Board and the boards of the Arts and Sciences Council, TreesCharlotte and the Levine Museum of the New South.
-
At that very course, Rory McIlroy and other members of Team Europe were the subject of taunts and heckling that got in the way of the Ryder Cup this past summer.
Adjective
-
If necessary, Game 3 would be sometime Monday.
-
That’s according to a new report from SAE International’s (and sometime Ars contributor) Roberto Baldwin.
Adjective
-
Women, who make up more than half (55%) of Social Security recipients ages 62 and up, on average collect $5,254 less annually than men, according to a FinanceBuzz analysis of the government's latest data.
-
These figures mark a clear increase from depressed crossing rates seen during much of the Iran war since its start in late February.
Cite this Entry
“Once.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/once. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
