afterward

adverb

ˈaf-tər-wərd How to pronounce afterward (audio)
variants or afterwards
Definition of afterwardnext
as in later
following in time or place we'll go to the play, then have supper afterward

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of afterward Researchers who studied the episode afterward found no actual break in production. — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2026 Cheryl Casone is set to host the program this week, with other anchors rotating into the position afterward. — Sameen Chaudhry, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026 The hospital said afterwards that hundreds of patients and staff were evacuated when the air raid alarm was raised indicating an incoming an strike. — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026 The pineapple and coconut rum baba afterward was the dessert of my dreams. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for afterward
Recent Examples of Synonyms for afterward
  1. later
  2. after
  3. thereafter
Adverb
  • The department later confirmed that the area was secure and that no further threat to the public remained.
    — Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026
  • New Zealand supplies more than half of China's dairy imports, a dominance built under a bilateral trade agreement since 2008, that later granted duty-free access for all its dairy products in 2024.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of later
Adverb
  • Soon after, the two of them met to discuss how the story could be adapted for the cinema.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Then right after was a meeting with a young woman who’s made one movie and has a script that’s ludicrous.
    — Rachel Handler, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of after
Adverb
  • Burnes underwent Tommy John surgery shortly thereafter, then suffered a teres major strain this June that shut him down from his throwing progression.
    — Spencer Nusbaum, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Gloria Steinem attributed her mother's nervous breakdown before she was born, and her treatment in mental institutions and the workforce thereafter, as key to her interest in social injustices.
    — Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of thereafter

Browse Nearby Words

aftertastes
afterward
afterword
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Cite this Entry

“Afterward.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/afterward. Accessed 8 Sep. 2026.

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