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
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.
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Recent Examples of once
Cori Sears, The Spruce, 13 June 2026
In partnership with Volvo, its autonomous trucks are already testing road operations, offering a glimpse of a driverless future arriving faster than many once expected.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 13 June 2026
Nandika Chatterjee, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
The flights through the once Category 5 storm have been particularly hairy, with one of the NOAA aircraft having to return to its base for a safety inspection after exceeding its g-force limits from the turbulence.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for once
Adverb
As a bonus, citronella grass is easy to care for, requiring only a sunny spot and watering once the top of the soil is dry.
—Cori Sears, The Spruce, 13 June 2026
In partnership with Volvo, its autonomous trucks are already testing road operations, offering a glimpse of a driverless future arriving faster than many once expected.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 13 June 2026
Adjective
The once summer home became a residential dwelling once more.
—Nandika Chatterjee, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
The flights through the once Category 5 storm have been particularly hairy, with one of the NOAA aircraft having to return to its base for a safety inspection after exceeding its g-force limits from the turbulence.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for once
Recent Examples of Synonyms for once
Adverb
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These small towns formerly relied on coal mining, steelworks and manufacturing for work, local historian Peter Fleetwood tells CNN.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
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The American South will have a new and expanded museum to visit come December 6, when Tennessee’s Memphis Art Museum (formerly the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art) reopens.—
Brian Boucher,
ARTnews.com,
17 June 2026
Adjective
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Collins easily beat former football coach Derek Dooley, according to unofficial election results.—
Tia Mitchell,
AJC.com,
17 June 2026
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This often meant that European nations recruited talented footballers from their former colonies to stop them from playing elsewhere.—
Simon Hughes,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
Adjective
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The 2-year-old has not been identified as of Tuesday night.—
Michael Guise,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
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Investigators also cited writings allegedly authored by Proper, the youngest member of the group at 19 years old.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2026
Adjective
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Under California law, police agencies are generally required to release to the public audio and video recordings of police shootings and other critical incidents involving great bodily injury within 45 days of the incident.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
16 June 2026
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There are other awards given to restaurants and the hospitality industry but the James Beard Foundation, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary, puts a premium on discovery and on American cuisine.—
Jeanne Bonner,
CNN Money,
16 June 2026
Adjective
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The erstwhile New York resident was loudly and vigorously booed by the hometown crowd as he was shown on the jumbotron of the legendary arena.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
8 June 2026
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Despite his meltdown in Colorado’s extra-inning loss to Milwaukee Friday night, the erstwhile starter has been one of baseball’s best relievers this season.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
7 June 2026
Adjective
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One of the best players in the world, Yamal scored 16 goals for Barcelona in La Liga this past season.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
16 June 2026
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Some chefs who were honored in past years with Outstanding, Emerging or regional Best Chef awards have gone on to become household names, including Alice Waters, Wolfgang Puck, Emeril Lagasse and Bobby Flay.—
Jeanne Bonner,
CNN Money,
16 June 2026
Adjective
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If necessary, Game 3 would be sometime Monday.—
Tyler Estep,
AJC.com,
3 June 2026
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That’s according to a new report from SAE International’s (and sometime Ars contributor) Roberto Baldwin.—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
2 June 2026
Adjective
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In late March, John Tortorella took over a Vegas Golden Knights team that had lost 12 of its last 16 games and didn’t remotely resemble a championship contender.—
Jesse Granger,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
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Georgia landed a significant transfer commit late Monday afternoon from Gonzaga redshirt junior infielder Mikey Bell.—
Hunter DeLauder,
AJC.com,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Once.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/once. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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