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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
Limit outdoor activity from dusk to dawn when mosquitoes are most active. — Karma Sabbah, CBS News, 10 Sep. 2026 With no large-scale hypermarkets, shoppers rose at dawn to snag the freshest produce at local wet markets. — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 10 Sep. 2026
Verb
Sunday dawned fairly clear and bright for the World Cup 2026 final, with temperatures dropping from last week’s oppressive, humid 90s to the drier upper 70s and low 80s with wildfire smoke all but washed away. — Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 19 July 2026 The person who isn't a professional military officer, pursues a broad, deep, public professional career, and yet dawns the uniform an serves his nation. — CBS News, 12 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
  • Kentucky’s Flag Status website states that the flag is always lowered to half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Patriot Day.
    — Caroline Neal, Louisville Courier Journal, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The national day of observance calls for flags to be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset.
    — Allison Gibson, Sacbee.com, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of sunrise
Noun
  • Steele’s only two league appearances over the past two seasons came at the beginning of Hurzeler’s reign in 2024-25, when Verbruggen was injured.
    — Andy Naylor, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Finally, here’s one more restaurant to put on your list, this one at the beginning of its journey.
    — Laurie Ochoa, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of beginning
Verb
  • The Eagles — who let the Braves use their locker room for a fantasy football draft before this series — start playing in a week, and this city is still mad for the Phillies.
    — Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Randal Grichuk started the eighth inning with a home run and Kyle Teel added a three-run blast later in the inning for the White Sox.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 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 selection committee has included at least one representative for each team/market since the Hall’s inception in 1963, with an increasing number of at-large selectors more recently.
    — Mike Sando, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • McKenna took over the role in 2025 from Charles Mesure, who played the former World Security Bureau boss and intelligence operative since the character's 2023 inception.
    — Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of inception
Verb
  • The collaboration will begin with a joint feasibility study and could lead to future commercial deployments of the battery technology.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 12 Sep. 2026
  • At 34, frustrated by the lack of a decent salary and deteriorating living conditions, including declining healthcare and long lines for gasoline, De La Cruz began to think about leaving Cuba.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2026
Definition of begin
Noun
  • About a quarter of the animals died either upon arrival or within days after, Jaros said.
    — John Donegan LONG BEACH POST, Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2026
  • The Katonah Museum of Art is an unexpected stop for rotating exhibitions of cross-disciplinary visual art, while Philip Johnson’s Glass House in nearby New Canaan is also worth a half-day excursion.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of day
Noun
  • The groundbreaking occurred in 2018, though construction was delayed by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and by subsequent supply chain issues.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Sep. 2026
  • While researchers have made tremendous headway in diagnosing the disease early and delaying symptom onset, a cure remains elusive, and a detailed understanding of the mechanisms behind the disease still has too many gaps.
    — Mike McRae September 10, New Atlas, 10 Sep. 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 16 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on dawn

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dawn

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