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

Soon there were then six Socialists in the state legislature; more than three thousand Sooners belonged to the party—one of every three hundred adults in the state. —Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025

Sooners quarterback John Mateer was 18-of-29 with 159 passing yards and an interception and a rushing touchdown. —Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2025

Sooners kicker short-circuits Vols’ CFP hopes Sandell helped Oklahoma win with one of the greatest kicking performances in school history. —David Ubben, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025

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

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