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
In the soft light of dawn, an Ohio tourist studied the interpretive sign at the summit of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park, reading about how magma formed the ground under her feet. — ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026 The dawn of the internet taught us that openness without responsibility can become extraction, connection can deepen division, and freedom without care can concentrate power in the hands of a few. — Amelia Rose Barlow, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2026
Verb
Soyka Soyka wanted to open a neighborhood hangout in his Morningside neighborhood as the new millennium dawned in 2000. — Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2026 There’s both a lot and not much at all going on in Kamei’s life, which is complicated by his dawning friendship — and maybe something more — with an American military brat, Colin (West Mulholland, Presence). — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 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
  • Smoky incense is still a source of meditative calm and comfort, but it’s made more transparent and wearable this season by pairing it with florals or creamier woods—more like a sunrise yoga class than an old-school church.
    — Loren Savini, Allure, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Someone slaps a strip of medical tape across their lips, promises you deeper sleep, fewer snores and a sharper jawline by morning, then cuts to a dreamy sunrise shot.
    — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of sunrise
Noun
  • Clocks are advanced ahead one hour at the beginning of daylight saving time, in March, and clocks are moved back one hour in November when returning to standard time.
    — Hannah Poukish, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The married owners—Ingrid Rivas, an agronomist, and Radamés Arroyo, an engineer—first began developing the 25-acre property by cultivating Tahiti limes, and the name Hacienda Verde Tahití later became a tribute to those agricultural beginnings.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of beginning
Verb
  • As temperatures start to drop, nightly firepits are the place to gather, stargaze, and make s’mores.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Oct. 2026
  • When Luka Doncic started cooking in the first quarter, the Lakers followed his lead in opening a 25-point lead in the second quarter over the Golden State Warriors on Friday night.
    — Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2026
Definition of start
Noun
  • Or the dawning in 1893 of the age of Wrigley and its Juicy Fruit gum!
    — Jeffrey Steingarten, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of dawning
Noun
  • This happened despite the fact that calculations of orbital forcings, together with modeling of how carbon dioxide interferes with glacial inception, have suggested the next ice age was postponed by tens of thousands of years.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 24 Oct. 2026
  • That’s a wild thing to imagine, since the iPhone has had very few fundamental changes since its inception.
    — Allison Johnson, The Verge, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of inception
Verb
  • Joby Aviation has begun piloted electric air taxi flights across Florida, testing how the aircraft could operate between airports and other locations as the state works toward building a network for future aerial transportation.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 31 Oct. 2026
  • The Heat’s starters outscored the Pacers by 20 points in 13 minutes together, including an 18-4 run to begin the second half.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 31 Oct. 2026
Definition of begin
Noun
  • The last polls before election day have given Eisenkot’s Yashar presumed coalition a lead of about two to six seats over Netanyahu’s ruling coalition, according to three of Israel’s main broadcasters.
    — Yarden Segev, NBC news, 27 Oct. 2026
  • This September 25 concert was Lui’s record release event for Instant Validation, which came out that same day via Asthmatic Kitty Records.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of day
Noun
  • There had been a temporary improvement but the onset of the Iran war has plunged the country back into crisis.
    — Rebekah Evans, TheWeek, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Much of these are solvable problems, if the right people are engaged to ensure that the community is involved from the onset.
    — Neil Chatterjee, Fortune, 23 Oct. 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 1 Nov. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dawn

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