once upon a time
idiom
: at some time in the past
He was a famous actor once upon a time.
Note: Once upon a time is the traditional way to begin a fairy tale.
Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess named Snow White.
Examples of once upon a time in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Spears was also nominated for best new artist once upon a time, losing to Christina Aguilera in 2000.
—
Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 11 Nov. 2025
And Rae was one of those kids, once upon a time.
—Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 11 Nov. 2025
The situation feels reminiscent of that of Jake Muzzin, a defenceman who filled a similar defensive role for the Leafs as Tanev once upon a time.
—Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Who will believe that Earth’s population once upon a time numbered eight billion people?
—Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
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Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 11 Nov. 2025
And Rae was one of those kids, once upon a time.
—Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 11 Nov. 2025
The situation feels reminiscent of that of Jake Muzzin, a defenceman who filled a similar defensive role for the Leafs as Tanev once upon a time.
—Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Who will believe that Earth’s population once upon a time numbered eight billion people?
—Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for once upon a time
Cite this Entry
“Once upon a time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/once%20upon%20a%20time. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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