sooner

1 of 2

noun

soon·​er ˈsü-nər 

plural sooners

1

: a person settling on land in the early West before its official opening to settlement in order to gain the prior claim allowed by law to the first settler after official opening

2

Sooner plural Sooners : a native or resident of Oklahoma

—used as a nickname

sooner

2 of 2

comparative of soon

Examples of sooner in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The Crimson Tide are 10-2 on the season and have gone 7-1 in the SEC, with their only conference loss coming at the hands of the Oklahoma Sooners last month. —Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Dec. 2025

Approximately 55 million viewers watched a tatterdemalion Kinney put the kibosh on the Sooners’ title hopes—a Thanksgiving TV turnout that the NFL has yet to duplicate. —Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 27 Nov. 2025

If Missouri decides Pribula isn’t quite ready to suit up, the Tigers will again start true freshman Matt Zollers against the Sooners. —Chase Gemes, Kansas City Star, 21 Nov. 2025

Sooners defensive back Eli Bowen returned an interception 87 yards for a touchdown, while linebacker Kip Lewis had two sacks. —Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 16 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

sooner, comparative of soon

First Known Use

Noun

1890, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing sooner

• no sooner
• no sooner said than done
• no sooner than
• sooner or later
• sooner rather than later
• would sooner

Rhymes for sooner

• lunar
• schooner
• spooner
• tuner
• lacunar
• semilunar