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

While on the microphone for his postgame interview with ESPN, the Ole Miss head coach called over to Sooners defensive lineman David Stone. —Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025

However, the Sooners answered right back with a 65-yard touchdown run by Xavier Robinson, and after forcing a three-and-out, the Sooners found the end zone again to lead 26-25, late in the third. —Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2025

All of the Sooners’ remaining opponents are ranked. —Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025

Junior Luke Northweather spent the last two seasons with Oklahoma, appearing in over 55 games and taking part in the Sooners’ run to the tournament last March. —Ally Schniepp, Kansas City Star, 14 Oct. 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