dawn

verb

\ˈdȯn,

ˈdän\

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

That’s when the same reality dawned on both Henry and Pallotta: their experiences in U.S. sports in no way prepared them for the permanent circus of European soccer. — Joshua Robinson, WSJ, "Liverpool vs. Roma: A Champions League Semifinal Made in Boston," 23 Apr. 2018 Tuesday dawned with some unusually low temperatures around San Diego County. — Robert Krier, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Day starts chilly; first rain in a month possible Thursday," 17 Apr. 2018 Gono said the possibility of a professional career began to dawn on him during his junior year, when scouts would visit Wesley. — Phil Anastasia, Philly.com, "Cinnaminson graduate Matt Gono is unlikely NFL draft prospect," 21 Apr. 2018 With figures and objects materializing in space from darkness and gloom, chiaroscuro could be a pictorial metaphor for enlightenment — the proverbial light bulb moment, or the visual equivalent of something dawning on you. — Christopher Knight, latimes.com, "Out of the shadows and into the light: 'Chiaroscuro Woodcut' is a sleeper hit at LACMA," 5 July 2018 Primary Election Day in Harford County dawned sunny and pleasant Tuesday, as more than 130,000 eligible Republicans and Democrats will have a final opportunity to pick their parties’ nominees for state and county offices and congressional seats. — David Anderson, The Aegis, "Harford voters go to the polls in primary election," 26 June 2018 The third full week of June dawns with a striking imbalance between American and National League. — Michael Beller, SI.com, "The Table Setter: Marcell Ozuna Is On Fire," 18 June 2018 In October 1967, during his junior year at Wesleyan, John Perry Barlow tried to single-handedly halt the dawning Age of Aquarius. — Chris Jennings, WSJ, "‘Mother American Night’ Review: The Opening of a Western Mind," 14 June 2018 British and American business interests responded by throwing their investments into this dawning era’s key commodity: cotton. — Howard W. French, Washington Post, "Trump's profane description disregards Africa's crucial role in making America a world power," 14 Jan. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

All the tourists were accounted for and no one was seriously injured when heavy rain began falling Wednesday evening and before dawn Thursday, swelling a shallow creek that runs through a reservation campground, said tribal spokeswoman Abbie Fink. — Felicia Fonseca And Alina Hartounian, chicagotribune.com, "Flash flood sends tourists to high ground near Grand Canyon," 13 July 2018 Many Southern California locations reported temperatures above 80 degrees before dawn. — CBS News, "Southern California heat wave breaks records," 6 July 2018 Rain showers and thunderstorms across Connecticut are expected to start before dawn, according to the National Weather Service. — Ruth Bruno, courant.com, "Friday Showers Offer A Break From Statewide Heatwave," 5 July 2018 Less than an hour later, a woman holding her one year-old son appeared on television and calmly explained what had just happened, and what might occur in the hours before dawn. — Gary Robbins, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Books that will help you understand and prepare for natural disasters," 1 July 2018 Authorities halted operations at Ngurah Rai International Airport before dawn on Friday, concerned that windblown ash from new eruptions at Mount Agung could interfere with flights. — Ben Otto, WSJ, "Bali Airport Reopens After Volcanic Ash Clears," 29 June 2018 Long Beach Fire Chief Mike DuRee announced that the firefighter had died about four hours after the shooting before dawn Monday. — Fox News, "The Latest: California firefighters salute slain colleague," 25 June 2018 Lawn chairs start appearing at dawn on the town green each Wednesday from late May to early September. — Bill Leukhardt, Courant Community, "Southington Summer Concerts A Big Hit," 13 July 2018 Cincinnati played a big role in keeping America’s pastime from breaking apart in the baseball war that threatened the game at the dawn of the modern era. — Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati.com, "Our history: Major League Baseball birthed in Cincinnati," 27 June 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.