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
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 onset
The onset of governmental licensing and regulation from the 1920s onward created a legal limbo for community radio, and in some nations led to a decline in community radio as commercial radio and, later, public radio expanded.
—
Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
How inflation develops will depend on what happens in the war and the crucial waterway of the Strait of Hormuz, which has been largely closed to oil tanker traffic since the onset of hostilities, stoking fears over oil and gas supplies in many parts of the world.
—ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
The early years of that time period coincided with the onset of the COVID pandemic, where there was little activity of any kind happening.
—Chase Jordan
april 22, Charlotte Observer, 22 Apr. 2026
California’s gas prices are the highest in the country and have risen sharply since the onset of the war with Iran.
—Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for onset
Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
How inflation develops will depend on what happens in the war and the crucial waterway of the Strait of Hormuz, which has been largely closed to oil tanker traffic since the onset of hostilities, stoking fears over oil and gas supplies in many parts of the world.
—ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
The early years of that time period coincided with the onset of the COVID pandemic, where there was little activity of any kind happening.
—Chase Jordan
april 22, Charlotte Observer, 22 Apr. 2026
California’s gas prices are the highest in the country and have risen sharply since the onset of the war with Iran.
—Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for onset
Recent Examples of Synonyms for onset
Noun
-
As shown in The Athletic’s match dashboard below, City might have had more of the ball, but Arsenal created some excellent opportunities with an attack-minded approach at the Etihad.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Both Hezbollah and Israel have have defended their attacks and claimed that the other has violated the ceasefire.—
Sarah Dean,
NBC news,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
His campaign, however, raised just over $1 million since the beginning of the year — placing him sixth in the fundraising race among the eight leading candidates.—
Grace Hase,
Mercury News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Meanwhile, today is the beginning of a six-year window that will impact your private world.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The assault killed at least seventeen people, including a twelve-year-old boy, wounded dozens, and destroyed buildings.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Allen will be arraigned Monday on charges, including assault of a federal officer and discharging a firearm in an attempt to kill a federal officer.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But with no other damage done, Weathers impressed his teammates in his first start as a father.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Greenlaw signed a three-year contract with Denver last season in free agency, but was released after playing in eight games with seven starts due to injuries.—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
By the early ‘60s, however, Hollywood was discovering that their bland, non-genre movies were fading before the onslaught of TV.—
Peter Bart,
Deadline,
23 Apr. 2026
-
They were intimidated by the onslaught of reporters and the aggressiveness of some camera people.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Tasos Katopodis / Getty Images Since its inception, presidents have frequented the Washington Hilton.—
Katrina Kaufman,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
According to Powerball, the jackpot has been hit almost 200 times since the lottery's inception in 1992.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
He is stripped of his business license, faces police raids and arrests, and is forced to shut down the testing centre.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The studio reportedly believes that 30% of the footage from the lost third act could be used in a sequel, including a police raid on Michael's Neverland Ranch.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Former President Bill Clinton will deliver the keynote speech for the commencement ceremony next month at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service.—
Daniel McFadin,
Arkansas Online,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Twins Matt and Ross Duffer, 42, hail from the university’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts — Class of 2007 — and during the commencement ceremony at Wilson Field in Orange, will receive honorary doctorates.—
Victoria Le,
Oc Register,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Onset.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/onset. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
