dawn 1 of 2

noun

Definition of dawnnext
1
as in sunrise
the first appearance of light in the morning or the time of its appearance we stayed up talking until dawn

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in beginning
the point at which something begins the dawn of civilization

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

dawn

2 of 2

verb

ˈdȯn How to pronounce dawn (audio)
as in to start
to come into existence a smile dawned on his face as he got the joke

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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 dawn
Noun
So, rise before the first blush of dawn, seek out a clear east-northeast horizon, and let the morning sky reward your early vigil. — Joe Rao, Space.com, 10 July 2026 With a new era about to dawn at Anfield following the appointment of new head coach Andoni Iraola, leaving now makes sense. — James Pearce, New York Times, 10 July 2026
Verb
Once airborne, though, a sense of infinity dawned out the cockpit windows, and of sheer mass behind the pilots. — Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 12 June 2026 Léa Seydoux gives a very committed, unaffected performance as Lucy, an experimental pianist who must deal with the dawning knowledge that her beloved husband Philip (Laurence Rupp) has a second life online as a pedophile pornographer. — Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 15 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for dawn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dawn
  1. sunrise
  2. beginning
  3. start
  4. dawning
  5. inception
  6. begin
  7. day
  8. onset
Noun
  • Malaysian photographer Teoh Hui Chieh created a stunning time-lapse video of an Australian annular solar eclipse transpiring at sunrise in 2013.
    — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 17 July 2026
  • Each day at the rescue begins before sunrise as volunteers prepare formula and feed the growing herd of young deer.
    — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 16 July 2026
Definition of sunrise
Noun
  • Michelle Branch is going back to her electric blue beginnings.
    — Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 15 July 2026
  • So the players have to lose every contest once to get to Room 8 and discover how to claim ultimate victory, then win every contest to get back to the beginning and correctly count some rice.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 14 July 2026
Definition of beginning
Verb
  • Torres – one of Barcelona’s key men up front – had been having an awful tournament, missing a plethora of chances throughout Spain’s campaign and being benched after starting against Cape Verde.
    — Patrick Sung Cuadrado, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • Transfer to the middle rack of the oven and bake until the tomatoes begin to burst and the gnocchi start to sizzle, about 15 minutes.
    — Kate Williams, AJC.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of start
Noun
  • The quiet moments, the grief, the slow dawning of realization that her husband had written this piece as a way of dealing with his grief and her anger.
    — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Mar. 2026
  • Ever enterprising, Toha does eventually make her way back to the party, but there, the ultimate dawning of her place outside of Nelly’s circle is heartbreaking.
    — Alissa Simon, Variety, 25 Feb. 2026
Definition of dawning
Noun
  • The city has issued roughly 60,000 zero-fine warnings since the program’s inception, in addition to warnings issued during grace periods at the start of the program, according to the data.
    — A.D. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 19 July 2026
  • Missouri farmers have implemented more than 295,000 conservation practices since its inception in 1984, which the Department of Natural Resources says stopped more than 194 million tons of soil from erosion.
    — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 18 July 2026
Definition of inception
Verb
  • In addition to its ongoing pursuit of LeBron James, the Heat also would like to add another veteran shooter and another veteran big man but might begin the season with only 14 under contract.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 18 July 2026
  • Construction is expected to begin in summer 2026 and be completed by early 2027.
    — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 18 July 2026
Definition of begin
Noun
  • But, over the past several weeks, 200 million barrels of oil came out of the strait — adding 17 days of supply, according to Lipow Oil Associates.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 14 July 2026
  • The hours between finishing work for the day and going out to dinner are the calm before the storm.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 14 July 2026
Definition of day
Noun
  • At this pace, yearly domestic grosses are expected to hit $10 billion for the first time since the onset of the pandemic.
    — Brent Lang, Variety, 15 July 2026
  • There is currently no cure for Alzheimer's disease, but various treatment options, such as prescription medications, may be available to patients to maintain brain health, delay symptom onset or manage symptoms, the agency says.
    — Yi-Jin Yu, ABC News, 14 July 2026
Definition of onset

Phrases Containing dawn

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dawdling
dawn
dawned
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Cite this Entry

“Dawn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dawn. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on dawn

Nglish: Translation of dawn for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dawn

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