once 1 of 3

adverb

ˈwən(t)s How to pronounce once (audio)
Definition of oncenext
as in formerly
at an earlier or previous time I once knew the quotation, but time has taken its toll on my brain cells

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

once

2 of 3

adjective

as in former
having been such at some previous time the once child star is now a lawyer in the entertainment industry

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

once

3 of 3

conjunction

as in when
just at the moment that you should have stopped wrestling once you knew someone was getting hurt, not five minutes later

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 once
Adverb
The identity of the man who died will be released by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office once next of kin have been notified. — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Nov. 2026 Because signal acquisition, neural decoding, and acoustic generation all take place locally on the headband, the system requires neither a cloud connection nor a nearby smartphone once a session begins. — New Atlas, 3 Nov. 2026
Adjective
Joseph Duggar's arrest is the latest fall from grace for the once picture-perfect Duggar family. — Melina Khan, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026 The once summer home became a residential dwelling once more. — Nandika Chatterjee, Time, 5 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for once
Recent Examples of Synonyms for once
  1. formerly
  2. former
  3. old
  4. other
  5. erstwhile
  6. past
  7. sometime
  8. late
Adverb
  • Under Fox Digital Platforms, Roku will be led by CEO Mustafa Ozgen, formerly Roku’s president of devices, products and technology, according to a memo from Cheesbrough obtained by Variety.
    — Todd Spangler, Variety, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Ye, the musician and designer formerly known as Kanye West, held his first Yeezy runway show in four years on Wednesday night, and the Los Angeles event had a few special guests in the front row, including his 13-year-old daughter, North West.
    — Arushi Jacob, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of formerly
Adjective
  • Greg Totten, the association’s CEO and former longtime Ventura County district attorney, also criticized the decision and its impact on victims’ families.
    — Michael McGough, Sacbee.com, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Dhillon has drawn fierce criticism from former Justice Department attorneys who have accused her of abandoning the division's traditional civil rights enforcement mission in favor of conservative causes.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of former
Adjective
  • This old Southern home on a barrier island is a four-story frame structure decorated with antiques, Asian rugs, and Tiffany lamps.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Nov. 2026
  • More photos, this time of our 12-year-old playing with a cat in our house.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of old
Adjective
  • Tellingly, most other states give local governments this ability.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026
  • His church, the Church of the Resurrection, was at the forefront of efforts to make the United Methodist Church more inclusive to LGBTQ congregants, but many other churches supported the change.
    — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of other
Adjective
  • The erstwhile king of clay, nine-time champion Rafael Nadal, had been deposed in the quarterfinal, and the man who had dished out that comprehensive defeat, Novak Djokovic, would assume the throne.
    — Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Katrina, an erstwhile nemesis from her school days, discomfits her by showing only kindness rather than animosity.
    — Malcolm Forbes, Christian Science Monitor, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of erstwhile
Adjective
  • Hilton said his campaign had built an infrastructure of donors and a positive policy playbook that energized crowds in a way past campaigns had not.
    — Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Meta, like its hyperscaler peers — Alphabet, Amazon and Microsoft — has laid out an ambitious path for infrastructure development, with spending plans that extend well past $100 billion a year.
    — Kif Leswing,Caleigh Keating, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of past
Adjective
  • In the mid-1990s, Bob Bartel, a Chicago native and sometime private detective and full-time Beatles nut, heard Louise speak at a fan convention about George’s vacation in Benton.
    — Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The uncertain status of TPS has led to sometime conflicting actions by government agencies or employers.
    — Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of sometime
Adjective
  • Many people looking to promote their latest novels are reportedly falling victim to these scammers, who may promise authors access to the reading public while preying on them financially.
    — Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The central bank's board voted unanimously late Monday to put Ueno Bank into resolution and hand its management to officials charged with assessing its finances and protecting its assets, the regulator said Tuesday.
    — EMILIO SANABRIA, Arkansas Online, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of late

Phrases Containing once

Browse Nearby Words

onanistic
once
once in a blue moon
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Cite this Entry

“Once.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/once. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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