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3
as in cause
someone or something responsible for a result
the missing money proved to be the occasion of much strife between the two brothers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in event
something that happens
weddings are generally happy occasions
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to cause
to be the cause of (a situation, action, or state of mind)
the announcement concerning the change in scheduling occasioned much confusion
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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show current usage.
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Recent Examples of occasion
Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 3 Mar. 2026
On another occasion, Kim said, Chan asked if Kim would help him get rid of a body that Kim didn’t believe actually existed.
—Sean Emery, Oc Register, 3 Mar. 2026
Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Dec. 2025
But with wind, only the effects of its occurrence are ever visible — the ripples on the river water, the waving motion of tree branches, the dust devils rising up from the sides of a desert dune, the dishevelment of clothes occasioned by a particularly violent gust.
—Big Think, 18 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for occasion
Noun
While the most over-the-top Junkanoo parties take place in Nassau, George Town marks the occasion with decidedly more subdued, yet still colorful celebrations.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 3 Mar. 2026
On another occasion, Kim said, Chan asked if Kim would help him get rid of a body that Kim didn’t believe actually existed.
—Sean Emery, Oc Register, 3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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
But with wind, only the effects of its occurrence are ever visible — the ripples on the river water, the waving motion of tree branches, the dust devils rising up from the sides of a desert dune, the dishevelment of clothes occasioned by a particularly violent gust.
—Big Think, 18 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for occasion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for occasion
Noun
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Questions and comments will be moderated, read, and answered as time allows.—
Carolyn Hax,
Washington Post,
27 Mar. 2026
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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
-
Know More The House war powers vote on Thursday is the most urgent opportunity for Democrats to try to unite against the war, even as the ongoing split persists about how to talk about it.—
Nicholas Wu,
semafor.com,
5 Mar. 2026
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The director, whose father is deaf, also saw this project as an opportunity to connect with the Deaf community.—
Tracy Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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For example, the Railway Safety Act requires the rail industry to invest approximately two billion dollars to address wheel bearing failures, the cause of the East Palestine derailment.—
Michael F. Gorman,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
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Noem’s firing was a cause for celebration among many in Hollywood.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Each Derby candidate has only one or two chances remaining to earn one of the 20 stalls in the oversized starting gate at Churchill Downs.—
Jay Posner,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
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There is a 40% chance of showers Friday night, rising to 80–90% Saturday morning through early afternoon.—
Nour Rahal,
Freep.com,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Occasion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/occasion. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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