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
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Recent Examples of once
Rebecca Schneid, Time, 24 May 2025
Perhaps the main difference between them is that Ethan Hunt has died, three times: once by electrocution and twice by drowning.
—Tyler Foggatt, New Yorker, 24 May 2025
Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 14 Jan. 2025
For Silver, there can no peace until the new school, and the resurgence of Cobra Kai headed by his once friend and now nemesis Kreese, gets some payback.
—Demetrius Patterson, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for once
Adverb
While the 90-day pause, set to expire on July 9, has offered the E.U. a reprieve, Trump’s threat to enforce a 50% tariff starting June 1 has once again spiked tensions and the markets have responded negatively.
—Rebecca Schneid, Time, 24 May 2025
Perhaps the main difference between them is that Ethan Hunt has died, three times: once by electrocution and twice by drowning.
—Tyler Foggatt, New Yorker, 24 May 2025
Adjective
But Smith also had some choice words for the once and future president.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 14 Jan. 2025
For Silver, there can no peace until the new school, and the resurgence of Cobra Kai headed by his once friend and now nemesis Kreese, gets some payback.
—Demetrius Patterson, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for once
Recent Examples of Synonyms for once
Adverb
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Hideki Matsuyama also missed the cut, snapping a streak of 19 made in a row when teeing it up in the majors, formerly the longest active streak.—
Justin Ray,
New York Times,
17 May 2025
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The arrangement comes after Something Weird LLC (formerly Something Weird Video) shuttered its download-to-own service and in-house DVD-R manufacturing operations last October.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
17 May 2025
Adjective
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Douglas Brick, a former student at the University of Utah, disappeared on Oct. 12, 1973, according to information from police and the school in Salt Lake City.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
16 May 2025
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The group claims a man named Bradley James, who allegedly worked as a bodyguard for Megan Thee Stallion’s former best friend Kelsey Harris, witnessed a conversation that proved Harris pulled the trigger.—
DeMicia Inman,
VIBE.com,
15 May 2025
Adjective
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Former New College student Katie Helms, 47, got emotional when remembering her old mentor.—
Toria Sheffield,
People.com,
25 May 2025
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Needless to say, building Hotel Emma out of the old Pearl Brewery was a massive undertaking, and its owner, Silver Ventures, made several sustainable choices during construction.—
Mae Hamilton,
Travel + Leisure,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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The pair have known each other for a while, with Ferguson guesting on Hot in Cleveland and Malick appearing on Modern Family.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
25 May 2025
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The effective ban at Harvard created a chilling effect at other colleges nationwide, while imperiling operations at the storied Cambridge, Massachusetts campus.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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Manfred, like other MLB commissioners before him, had rejected Rose’s petitions for reinstatement while the erstwhile slugger was still alive.—
Chris Branch,
New York Times,
14 May 2025
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Radcliffe will play Arthur Tobin, an award-winning filmmaker who moves into Reggie's mansion to shoot an immersive documentary about the erstwhile star athlete.—
Mekishana Pierre,
EW.com,
12 May 2025
Adjective
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Shields also defended the Brooklyn rapper after Remy went on an Instagram rant regarding their past relationship.—
Jessica Bennett,
VIBE.com,
23 May 2025
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Previously, scientists have found tiny crustaceans, prehistoric mollusks and even hell ants encased in the orangey resin, a window into worlds past.—
Sara Hashemi,
Smithsonian Magazine,
23 May 2025
Adjective
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Instead, Trump took a number of potshots at his sometime opponent during a Tuesday press conference, less than 48 hours after ordering the Bureau of Prisons to reopen Alcatraz as a federal penitentiary.—
Nicole Nixon,
Sacbee.com,
7 May 2025
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The fang gang present themselves as yearning European folk enthusiasts and later as jigging fiends and sometime metalheads.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But beggars can’t be choosers, so Vargas-Keller will be something to watch in round two of the City Series in late July at Sox Park.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
19 May 2025
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Elissa was scheduled for more imaging tests in late August to see whether the tumors responded to the new therapy.—
Kristen Jordan Shamus,
USA Today,
19 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Once.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/once. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
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