AFTERWARDS Synonyms: 26 Similar and Opposite Words

afterward

adverb

ˈaf-tər-wərd

variants or afterwards

Definition of afterward

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 The traveling party, which included his mother, Yris, gathered on the field for photos afterward in spite of rain. — ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026 Not long afterward, witnesses heard groans and heavy breathing as the spiritual adviser put her hands on his shoulders and prayed over him. — CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026 When Ruiz told of a vision, Maceta would sit thinking for a long while afterward, looking for a way to interpret his images. — Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026 Fire crews arrived shortly afterward and found significant fire involvement throughout the second floor. — Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for afterward

Recent Examples of Synonyms for afterward

Adverb

Ukrainian authorities recovered Berezovska’s body three days later, having been led to her makeshift grave by Reut after he was tracked down by investigators.

— Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
Cook would go on to become one of the most popular comedians of the early 2000s, while McCauley took on a job as a corrections officer and would later handle his brother’s finances directly.

— Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of later

Adverb

At some point after, the woman said she was woken up by the sound of glass breaking and then allegedly saw Freitag enter the home through a shattered glass sliding door, according to the warrant affidavit.

— Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 19 Aug. 2026
Soon after, the two men spoke on the phone, one of them a teenager, the other already a rising figure inside Israeli military intelligence.

— Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of after

Adverb

Everyone the police arrest in New York City gets arraigned shortly thereafter in the criminal courts operating in the city’s five boroughs.

— Robert Gangi, New York Daily News, 16 Aug. 2026
But from there came the Fortner penalty, and soon thereafter the drive ended as Young was swallowed up for a third-down sack.

— Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of thereafter

Browse Nearby Words

aftertastes

afterward

afterword

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Style

“Afterward.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/afterward. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of afterward

adverb

Example Sentences

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