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

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
Some Muslim communities have raised similar concerns because certain daily prayers must be completed by dawn. — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 9 Aug. 2026 Inspired by the Amazon rainforest at dawn, this gender-neutral parfum layers white jungle florals, Brazilian orange oil, pink pepper, and grapefruit zest over grounding notes of bourbon, vetiver, musk, and patchouli. — Kiana Murden, Vogue, 7 Aug. 2026
Verb
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 The Crips and Bloods reached the apex of their Stockton influence in the 1980s and 1990s, Washington recalled, as the concept of fast money dawned along with the crack cocaine epidemic. — Luca Evans, Denver Post, 21 June 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
  • The spacious porch faces the water and delivers show-stopping sunrise views.
    — Elise Taylor, Vogue, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Shot on location in Alberta, Canada, the blooming grasslands, breathtaking sunrises, glistening rivers and immense mountaintops are characters in their own right, often pulling audiences in when the storyline itself is drastically lacking.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of sunrise
Noun
  • Unlike 12 years ago, predation isn’t centred on a minority; 11 different Premier League clubs have lost players to the ‘Big Six’ since the beginning of last summer.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026
  • At the beginning of the year, some volunteers within Coppell ISD went door-to-door to recruit and keep students in public education.
    — Lacey Beasley, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of beginning
Verb
  • Willy Adames and Rafael Devers singled to start the fourth against Melton, putting runners at the corners.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • However, consuming large amounts—such as those used in studies where up to 1/2 cup was consumed daily—can start to weaken and damage tooth enamel.
    — MD Published, Verywell Health, 10 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
  • Georgia’s current 911 infrastructure has remained largely unchanged since its inception in 1968, according to the Georgia Emergency Communications Agency.
    — Sophia Eppley, AJC.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Since the inception of the Archdiocese's buyback events in 2023, nearly 1,500 firearms have been collected by the Baltimore Police Department, in an effort to create a culture of peace and nonviolence.
    — Andrew Adeolu, CBS News, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of inception
Verb
  • Attacks could draw retaliation and reignite Yemen’s war Yemen’s civil war began in 2014 when the rebels seized the capital, Sanaa, and much of northern Yemen, forcing the government into exile.
    — Fatma Khaled, Chicago Tribune, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Insider tip Follow the paths through the lavender fields at sunset, when the bees begin to settle and the fields catch the last of the ethereal light.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of begin
Noun
  • Tyler Boebert, 21, was arrested Sunday and released from the county's jail that day after posting $10,000 bail, according to the Garfield County Sheriff's Office.
    — Denver Post, Denver Post, 11 Aug. 2026
  • David Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive, exited the campaign in July but revived it days later after receiving Evers' endorsement.
    — Gaby Vinick, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of day
Noun
  • Chan directs Zhou Xun, Wen Qi, Tian Zhuangzhuang and Wang Xiao in the drama, which centers on early-onset Alzheimer disease.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Aug. 2026
  • At 51, Rabatin was a few years shy of the average age of onset, which is 55.
    — Beth Sobol, Flow Space, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of onset

Phrases Containing dawn

Browse Nearby Words

dawdling
dawn
dawned
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dawn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dawn. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on dawn

Nglish: Translation of dawn for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dawn

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of salvo

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All