dawn

verb

\ ˈdȯn

, ˈdän\

dawned; dawning; dawns

Definition of dawn

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

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

dawn

noun

Definition of dawn (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : the first appearance of light in the morning followed by sunrise danced till dawn at the crack of dawn Almost before the first faint sign of dawn appeared she arose again …— Thomas Hardy

2 : beginning the dawn of the space age

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about dawn

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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: Verb

Whether the nightmare is Orwell’s Big Brother, Huxley’s human hatcheries or the myriad variations on nuclear annihilation and worldwide contagion, a dreaded new reality has dawned. — Anna Mundow, WSJ, "‘The Wall’ Review: We Shall Defend Our Island," 1 Mar. 2019 Saturday will dawn with a chilly but dry morning, along with a blend of clouds and sunshine. — David Epstein, BostonGlobe.com, "We’re about to have an unusually cold weekend," 23 Mar. 2018 As 2018 dawned, expectations for self-driving vehicles were sky-high: Waymo, Alphabet's self-driving car company, was testing fully driverless cars and preparing for a commercial launch in the Phoenix area. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "The hype around driverless cars came crashing down in 2018," 30 Dec. 2018 Decorative lanterns illuminated the colorful display of silks dawned on every guest at the chatty table. — Eliseé Browchuk, Vogue, "Yali Hosted a Chinese New Year Dinner and All the Guests Wore Robes," 6 Feb. 2019 That most of these movies end with their antiheroes jailed or dead never dawns on them. — Pam Grady, San Francisco Chronicle, "‘American Animals’: Playing at cops and robbers," 30 May 2018 Heavy armor disappeared as the age of firearms dawned. — David Hambling, Popular Mechanics, "The Overloaded Soldier: Why U.S. Infantry Now Carry More Weight Than Ever," 26 Dec. 2018 Nelson, who primarily works with at-risk children, dawned on the idea after reflecting on his own attendance of a similar group. — Nesa Mangal, Good Housekeeping, "Teacher Starts Gentleman's Club to Get Kids Dressed and Ready for Success," 26 Feb. 2016 His empty, sweeping landscape revealed under a spectacular, roseate sky is imbued with a sense of hope as captured in the dawning light of ephemeral atmospheric effects. — Mary Tompkins Lewis, WSJ, "‘Mantegna and Bellini’ Review: A Family Affair," 3 Nov. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

However, full moons are best viewed during dusk and dawn. — Kelly O'sullivan, Country Living, "A Super Snow Moon Is Coming Next Week," 16 Feb. 2019 After dawn on Friday, mourners gathered at the Prophet’s Mosque in the city of Medina, one of Islam’s holiest sites, for a service in Mr. Khashoggi’s memory. — Margherita Stancati, WSJ, "Turkey Claims More Audio Evidence Contradicts Saudis on Khashoggi Death," 16 Nov. 2018 Investigators believe Escobar was the man who used a baseball bat to bash the heads of three homeless men sleeping on downtown Los Angeles streets before dawn on Sept. 16, police said in a statement. — Christopher Weber, The Seattle Times, "Suspect in deadly California attacks was deported 6 times," 25 Sep. 2018 Investigators believe Escobar was the man who used a baseball bat to bash the heads of three homeless men who were sleeping on downtown streets before dawn on Sept. 16, Los Angeles police said in a statement. — Fox News, "California attacks suspect probed in case of missing Texans," 25 Sep. 2018 Shortly after dawn on Saturday, September 2, 1944, Lieutenant Junior Grade George Herbert Walker Bush, joined by two crew mates, took off from the USS San Jacinto to attack a radio tower on Chichijima. — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "Jon Meacham's Eulogy for George H.W. Bush: Read What the President's Biographer Had to Say," 5 Dec. 2018 Nature •Hike or walk your dog where admission is free from dawn to dusk. — Vickie Snow Jurkowski, Daily Southtown, "From fests to concerts to stargazing, lots of events offer free admission this summer," 12 July 2018 The Alaska Botanical Garden is open year-round from dawn to dusk. — Anchorage Daily News, "July is a great time to visit the Alaska Botanical Garden," 11 July 2018 Trail Wood Sanctuary is open daily from dawn to dusk. — Denise Coffey, Courant Community, "Teale's Legacy Lives On At Trail Wood Sanctuary," 9 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dawn.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.