How to Use when in a Sentence

when

1 of 2 adverb

• It was a time when people didn't have to lock their doors.
• When is the next performance?
• We're still waiting for the test results, when we'll decide our next move.
• The detective asked me when I last saw her.
• When did the American Civil War begin?
• Age has taught me many things, among them when to ask for help.
  — Jessica Battilana, San Francisco Chronicle, 10 Nov. 2021
• Even when programs have been able to stay open, many have had to scale down.
  — Elliot Haspel, Washington Post, 30 June 2022
• These are often formed when very cold air moves over warmer water.
  — Richard Tribou, Orlando Sentinel, 10 Nov. 2022
• And when there are fans, having the crowd cheer for you, is just a dream come true.
  — Tony Baranek, chicagotribune.com, 8 Apr. 2021
• This color works best when paired with jewel tones, such as a deep red.
  — Jenna Milliner-Waddell, ELLE Decor, 5 July 2017
• The ribs are done when the meat is tender and slightly pulls away from the bone.
  — Beth Segal, cleveland, 14 May 2021
• No word yet when the car will be ready for production or how many will be built.
  — Annie White, Car and Driver, 14 May 2021
• Via the touchscreen, the car can be parked even when there’s no driver at the wheel.
  — David Beard, Car and Driver, 25 Dec. 2017
• That's how the Bucks planned things when the area around the new arena was laid out.
  — Drake Bentley, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 20 June 2021
• Hunt couldn’t put any weight on his right leg when he was being helped over to the sideline.
  — Tim Bielik, cleveland, 17 Oct. 2021
• And more times than not most would say no when truly being honest.
  — Mike Freeman, USA TODAY, 4 Feb. 2021
• No one wins when shame and cold-heartedness are on the table.
  — Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 July 2022
• The fire exploded in size on day three when a cold front hit mountains.
  — Julie Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle, 30 Aug. 2021
• And one of those things may be — when a detective comes knocking on your door.
  — Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2022
• The process starts the night before, when the restaurant is empty.
  — Cesar Hernandez, San Francisco Chronicle, 25 July 2022
• The weight of those thoughts is heaviest when her son leaves her to return to his dad.
  — Amanda Ostuni, EW.com, 16 Mar. 2022
• This is a quick turnabout from last month when the Army was prepared to do just that.
  — Eric Tegler, Forbes, 25 July 2022
• Of course, there will be plenty to do when guests decide to leave their cozy cabins, too.
  — Devorah Lev-Tov, Travel + Leisure, 15 Mar. 2022
• The footprints were formed when people strode over damp, sandy ground on the margin of a lake.
  — New York Times, 23 Sep. 2021
• There will be times when the voice in your head tries to convince you to take the easy route and take shortcuts.
  — Ross Franklin, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2021
• Sometimes, burglars smash through glass doors and snag their loot during the night when the stores are closed.
  — The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 7 Feb. 2022
• The unidentified woman was watching along with the crowd when she was hit.
  — Rachel Uranga staff Writer follow, Los Angeles Times, 26 Dec. 2022
• The experience makes eating the food an event, in a time when fun is hard to come by.
  — Soleil Ho, SFChronicle.com, 11 Jan. 2021
• That’s the most since mid-October when the delta wave was in decline.
  — Ben Brasch, ajc, 28 Dec. 2021
• Brown knew this back when he and Hurts were both being recruited out of high school.
  — Martin Frank, USA TODAY, 3 May 2022

when

2 of 2 noun

• The springy, lightweight nylon frames comfortably grip the head with sticky-when-wet pads at the nose and earpieces.
  — Outside Online, 2018-05-15
• The party guests are playing a freeze-when-the-music-stops game, but Joe is off in his own world, not paying attention.
  — Neil Genzlinger, New York Times, 2016-07-12
• Daniel could have said no when his flinty-when-not-curmudgeonly father, Jay, asked to audit the classics class Daniel was teaching at Bard College.
  — Peter Lewis, The Christian Science Monitor, 2017-09-20
• What the possibilities of technology offer — beyond the gig-when-you-need-it networks — are a chance to collectively rethink generations of regulations.
  — Scott Canon, kansascity, 2017-05-29
• When Calvo relinquished the captain’s armband, Alonso put it on and has been credited with a lead-by-example, speak-when-necessary leadership style that garners attention and respect.
  — Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 2019-10-17