1
as in attack
the act or action of setting upon with force or violence
the walls withstood the onset of the first battalion
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in beginning
the point at which something begins
the claim that if you take enough vitamin C at the onset of a cold, you'll often recover faster
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of onset
Since the investigation’s onset, Picerno has been vocal that Willis knew nothing about the men’s deaths.
—
Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 24 July 2025
At the onset of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, Aliyev believed Moscow would win quickly and reestablish its dominance across the post-Soviet space.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 July 2025
More than $10 million in cryptocurrency belonging to the Sinaloa cartel has been seized in Florida as part of nationwide drug raids since the onset of President Donald Trump’s second term, the Justice Department announced this week.
—Greg Norman, FOXNews.com, 16 July 2025
Researchers have shown, in mice, that targeting these molecules with a vaccine can delay or prevent the onset of cancers.
—Knowable Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for onset
Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 24 July 2025
At the onset of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, Aliyev believed Moscow would win quickly and reestablish its dominance across the post-Soviet space.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 July 2025
More than $10 million in cryptocurrency belonging to the Sinaloa cartel has been seized in Florida as part of nationwide drug raids since the onset of President Donald Trump’s second term, the Justice Department announced this week.
—Greg Norman, FOXNews.com, 16 July 2025
Researchers have shown, in mice, that targeting these molecules with a vaccine can delay or prevent the onset of cancers.
—Knowable Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for onset
Recent Examples of Synonyms for onset
Noun
-
Due date for individuals and businesses impacted by recent terrorist attacks in Israel.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
-
Given the dynamics of last year’s presidential contest, in which worries about rising costs of living played a role in Californian Kamala Harris’s loss to Donald Trump, California’s very high costs for housing and other fundamental living needs, would be fodder for attacks on Newsom in 2028.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
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What began as one family’s search for a life in rhythm with the land has bloomed into a thriving village where 70% of the acreage has been protected under a land trust from the beginning.—
Chrissy Tracey,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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Phillips said there are only three insurance companies actively insuring child care programs left in Michigan, compared with about 10 that existed at the beginning of 2024.—
Beki San Martin,
Freep.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
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While other governments rushed to make concessions in the face of Trump’s tariff onslaught, India has remained defiant.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
11 Aug. 2025
-
Just like Weapons, this simple premise gives way to an onslaught of horrific twists.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
8 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The Elmbrook School District is considering changing its school start and end times, an idea that could affect the schedules of nearly 8,000 students.—
Alec Johnson,
jsonline.com,
7 Aug. 2025
-
Federline got his start as a back-up dancer in the mid-Nineties.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Since then, his administration has ramped up immigration raids on businesses, threatened widespread deportation, and canceled temporary legal status for more than a million people living in the United States.—
Alexander Kustov,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Aug. 2025
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In another instance, troops that went with a federal agency conducting a raid at a cannabis farm in Riverside County formed a security perimeter that prevented people from leaving.—
Barnini Chakraborty,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Maizie and Hunter recently completed undergraduate studies at the University of Idaho, the couple said, and took part in commencement ceremonies as the Chapins beamed.—
Liz Kreutz,
NBC news,
14 July 2025
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Param Pal, a San Jose State University business graduate, was back on campus within a month of commencement for a job fair.—
Sami Khan,
Mercury News,
7 July 2025
Noun
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Beijing has also softened its regulatory assault on Chinese technology companies and the property sector.—
Jacky Wong,
WSJ,
6 Feb. 2023
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Zelenskyy has warned for weeks that Moscow aims to step up its assault after about two months of virtual stalemate along the front line that stretches across the south and east.—
Reuters,
NBC News,
31 Jan. 2023
Noun
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In less than half a year since its inception, the company secured $2 billion in seed funding in July, reaching a valuation of approximately $12 billion.—
,
CNBC,
11 Aug. 2025
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The Cheval Noir represents the political fight that pushed Montreal to become one of Canada’s most progressive cities — an ideology that’s been at the core of the festival since its inception.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
9 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Onset.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/onset. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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