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

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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

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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
Bartiromo was a respected business journalist at CNBC, and popular, too — Joey Ramone once wrote a song about her. — Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 3 Sep. 2026 Taking this unpaid time upfront, Bornstein hoped, might help shift the tenor of appointments later, and might even convince some to vaccinate once there was a sense of trust. — Eric Boodman, STAT, 3 Sep. 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
  • EchoPark Speedway, formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway, is best known for NASCAR, but its calendar extends well beyond major race weekends.
    — Chris Teague, AJC.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Early on Thursday morning technical researcher Eric Lu sparked worldwide excitement and confusion by posting a sequence of 130 digits on X (formerly Twitter).
    — Peter Hall, Scientific American, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of formerly
Adjective
  • Subramanyam said his calls were monitored between March and May, noting that at the time the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee was pushing for former Attorney General Pam Bondi to testify.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Thompson, who is the son of a former state lawmaker, was sentenced to 58 years in prison.
    — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of former
Adjective
  • The Dune star has five older half siblings from her father’s previous relationship.
    — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Newcastle had depleted full-back resources and Jaissle was convinced the 24-year-old’s athleticism was ideal.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of old
Adjective
  • Yes, Minteh and Sarr both operate on the right and buying one of them arguably would have provided a better balance to Iraola’s attacking department given that his other wide players prefer the left flank.
    — James Pearce, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • That happened again when the five other conservatives – but not Roberts and the three liberals − said the administration could slash hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of health research funding.
    — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of other
Adjective
  • Canada on Tuesday announced retaliatory tariffs of up to 50% percent on around $20 billion worth of US products, in an expanding trade war between the erstwhile allies.
    — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Constructed in the late 19th century, the erstwhile residence joined Grand Hotel Timeo in 1929 when the properties’ owners married.
    — Sam Cochran, Architectural Digest, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of erstwhile
Adjective
  • Faria was down a break and scrambling to survive, having snatched the opening set by getting past Alcaraz’s defenses.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • In past seasons, Joe’s immaturity was directed towards women; this time, it’s channeled into his relationship with Nathan, who acts even more immaturely.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of past
Adjective
  • By the end of his life, Irving had established himself as a respected biographer and a sometime international diplomat.
    — Eric Lach, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Jimmy Tatro will play Gorilla Grodd, the superintelligent ape and sometime Superman nemesis.
    — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of sometime
Adjective
  • Others in the Premier League would be happy to find a deal one sixth the size of Liverpool’s latest shirt sponsor.
    — James Pearce, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Earlier plans called for production this summer and initial sales by late 2026.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 8 Sep. 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 9 Sep. 2026.

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