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
Mercury stays glued to the sun’s glare, visible only briefly at dawn or dusk and best at maximum elongation. — Damian Peach, Space.com, 13 Aug. 2026 But down here, in waters that had been trapped in darkness since before the dawn of plants, there shouldn’t have been any oxygen at all. — James Dinneen, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2026
Verb
As October dawned, Clinton held a lead but not an overwhelming one. — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 July 2026 The day dawned with rumors that the couple might have already said their vows ahead of the big event in New York. — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 3 July 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
  • Sunlight bent and filtered through Earth's atmosphere leaks into the shadow, carrying the red-orange glow of every sunrise and sunset around the world.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Observed from lower latitudes, the orbital parade of satellites would peak in brightness at sunrise and sunset; toward the poles, the constellations would be bright and visible for most of the night during winter and the equinoxes.
    — Arielle Frommer, Scientific American, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of sunrise
Noun
  • Many of England’s players only arrived at their club’s pre-season camps at the beginning of August, three weeks after many sides saw the bulk of their squads return.
    — George Edwards, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Jurors were shown a photo of a green body bag at the beginning of her questioning, followed by a grisly photo of his body.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of beginning
Verb
  • Tamekia Morris didn’t start her career thinking about welding torches or HVAC units.
    — Carson Bonner, AJC.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Hopes for an imminent US-Iran deal to end the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz added to optimism that oil and gas, along with other key products, would again start flowing freely after more than five months of war.
    — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 17 Aug. 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
  • Since their inception, these wines have tasted as if something were missing beyond just alcohol—aroma, flavor, body, and balance were absent as well.
    — Mike DeSimone, Robb Report, 16 Aug. 2026
  • But Thrive has ultimately put in more than $2 billion into the ChatGPT maker since its inception.
    — Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of inception
Verb
  • That approach could help developers identify infrastructure constraints before construction begins.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Dehqani said reconstruction work began immediately after the refinery was hit during the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in 2025.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of begin
Noun
  • This space used to be their home, where so many legendary moments took place, scenes that are replayed over and over on game days inside Yankee Stadium, the history of the team so essential to its appeal.
    — Sam Blum, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Specifically designed with game day in mind, the private members areas and bars can be converted into viewing platforms so guests can watch from a lounge or be in the action and watch live from the stands.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of day
Noun
  • And while early-onset Alzheimer’s is rare, that doesn’t mean women should ignore changes that genuinely concern them.
    — Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Chronic absenteeism – referring to students who miss 10% or more days of the school year – has become one of the most urgent problems across American schools since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
    — Jerome A. Graham, The Conversation, 19 Aug. 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 22 Aug. 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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