occasion 1 of 2

Definition of occasionnext
1
as in time
a particular point at which an event takes place on that occasion, I didn't actually meet your father

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in opportunity
a favorable combination of circumstances, time, and place the substitute violinist rose to the occasion and performed the piece beautifully

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
4

occasion

2 of 2

verb

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 occasion
Noun
The Bulls got within 10 again on a couple of occasions in the fourth quarter, but each time the Kings came up with big baskets to stem the tide and secure the victory. Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 9 Mar. 2026 The hotel-crisp percale is made even more dignified with a thick blue stripe around its border, giving a plain white duvet insert a sense of playfulness and occasion. Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 9 Mar. 2026
Verb
And so our entry into 2026 has occasioned the traditional visit to the photo archives. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 18 Jan. 2026 The casting of new pro Jan Ravnik for the recent season 34 occasioned a classic Maks-ism that harkened back to his time on the show. Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for occasion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for occasion
Noun
  • Questions and comments will be moderated, read, and answered as time allows.
    Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2026
  • Boise State would hang around for the final two-minute period, which stretched to about 30 minutes of actual time, as both teams repeatedly sent each other to the free-throw line and called timeouts.
    Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 10 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Designed by Pete and Alice Dye to resist one-note dominance, Sawgrass still works like an equal-opportunity interrogator.
    Jenny Catlin, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026
  • Kidman jumped at the opportunity after reading the pilot, coming onboard as the star and as an executive producer.
    Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The cause of the discrepancy between the leaders' comments was not immediately clear.
    SYLVIE CORBET, Arkansas Online, 14 Mar. 2026
  • An American Legion hall that has withstood many a coastal storm mysteriously collapsed as a volatile cold front crossed North Carolina, and the National Weather Service is trying to pinpoint a cause.
    Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 13 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The event was originally scheduled to take place on the same date, but at a location more than 8,000 miles away at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia.
    Senior Editor, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026
  • The clubs, civic organizations and community events that once brought our forefathers together are largely fading away.
    Judith Martin, Dallas Morning News, 10 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Divers have to carefully chisel each coral from the seabed by hand and bring it to the surface, which takes a lot of time and labor.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Mar. 2026
  • The two brought some soulful rumination on catered snacks and beautiful women with big foreheads.
    Omar L. Gallaga, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • That’s Coogler’s challenge too, and this is his moment to encourage the industry to get back to making ambitious populist hits.
    Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026
  • For fashion, the Fall/Winter 2026 season arrived at a moment of heightened uncertainty, as wholesale continues its rocky reset and geopolitical uncertainty remains high.
    Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 10 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • This means that even if a fault-tolerant quantum computer becomes available, QPE could still struggle with large molecules because the chance of successfully extracting the correct energy becomes vanishingly small.
    Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 14 Mar. 2026
  • The Sooners had a final chance after Acuff missed a second free throw with 10 seconds left.
    Dallas Morning News, Dallas Morning News, 14 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The bylaws contain categorical exclusions that prevent discretion in certain circumstances while allowing loopholes to be exploited in others.
    DP Opinion, Denver Post, 7 Mar. 2026
  • Durham Constabulary are investigating the circumstances of the incident that led to Huntley's death and a file is being prepared for the Crown Prosecution Service for consideration for charges.
    CBS News, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Occasion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/occasion. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on occasion

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