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
But once upon a time, before teams became obsessed with projections and modeling, the most effective way to evaluate a trade was by asking the question: Who got the best player in the deal?
—
Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 18 June 2025
Would the 32-year-old be open to the idea of signing with the team that drafted him once upon a time?
—Dane Mizutani, Twin Cities, 30 Mar. 2025
Still, the sight of a real Ghibli on the road, or even on a concours lawn, is a reminder that the Maserati model was—once upon a time—as good as an Italian luxury grand tourer could get.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 7 May 2025
Although his breakthrough was fairly recent, Valiant, 26, has been recording music for over a decade; the young father was even a part of Popcaan’s Unruly Camp once upon a time.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for once upon a time
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Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 18 June 2025
Would the 32-year-old be open to the idea of signing with the team that drafted him once upon a time?
—Dane Mizutani, Twin Cities, 30 Mar. 2025
Still, the sight of a real Ghibli on the road, or even on a concours lawn, is a reminder that the Maserati model was—once upon a time—as good as an Italian luxury grand tourer could get.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 7 May 2025
Although his breakthrough was fairly recent, Valiant, 26, has been recording music for over a decade; the young father was even a part of Popcaan’s Unruly Camp once upon a time.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 1 May 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 12 Jul. 2025.
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