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
As discussed, once upon a time, business public relations were much, much simpler.
—
Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Radicalism is easy to see, fun to mock, and once upon a time, remained on the fringes of society.
—Chris Yogerst, HollywoodReporter, 30 Aug. 2025
Plus the paper underwrote 10 trips to the Cannes Film Festival, with my name on the festival badge, once upon a time.
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2025
And Donnie says that Ronnie’s City on a Hill was a real thing once upon a time!
—Jason Mott
august 14, Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for once upon a time
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Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Radicalism is easy to see, fun to mock, and once upon a time, remained on the fringes of society.
—Chris Yogerst, HollywoodReporter, 30 Aug. 2025
Plus the paper underwrote 10 trips to the Cannes Film Festival, with my name on the festival badge, once upon a time.
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2025
And Donnie says that Ronnie’s City on a Hill was a real thing once upon a time!
—Jason Mott
august 14, Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 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 Sep. 2025.
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