dawned; dawning; dawns
1
: to begin to grow light as the sun rises
waited for the day to dawn
2
: to begin to appear or develop
A new era is dawning.
3
: to begin to be perceived or understood
The truth finally dawned on us.
Examples of dawn in a Sentence
Verb
They waited for the day to dawn.
A new age is dawning.
Noun
as dawn breaks over the city
Winter brings late dawns and early sunsets.
Recent Examples on the Web
Angus Whitley, Bloomberg, 8 Mar. 2026
As the contours of the trade deadline marketplace formed in a more robust fashion on Wednesday, for example, several dawning realities became apparent.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2026
The Shaggs may be the unlikeliest group since the dawn of rock ‘n’ roll to have attracted a cult of hundreds of thousands or even millions of fans, all of whom take their place on different parts of the ironic-to-sincere appreciation scale.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dawn
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Verb
As morning dawned in Asia, the dollar — a beneficiary of the crisis so far because of its haven status — was stronger against major peers early in Sydney.
—Angus Whitley, Bloomberg, 8 Mar. 2026
As the contours of the trade deadline marketplace formed in a more robust fashion on Wednesday, for example, several dawning realities became apparent.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Noun
Fasting during Ramadan from dawn to dusk is not just about abstaining from food and drink.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2026
The Shaggs may be the unlikeliest group since the dawn of rock ‘n’ roll to have attracted a cult of hundreds of thousands or even millions of fans, all of whom take their place on different parts of the ironic-to-sincere appreciation scale.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dawn
Cite this Entry
“Dawn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dawn. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dawn
1 of 2 verb
ˈdȯn 
ˈdän
1
: to begin to grow light as the sun rises
waited for the day to dawn
2
: to begin to appear or develop
a smile dawned on her face
3
: to begin to be understood
the solution dawned on him
dawn
2 of 2 noun1
: the first appearance of light in the morning
2
: a first appearance : beginning
the dawn of a new age
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