ONSET Synonyms: 123 Similar and Opposite Words

onset

noun

ˈȯn-ˌset

Definition of onset next

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

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 Only five Gallup readings have ever come in lower, all of which were recorded during the Great Recession or at the onset of the pandemic. —

Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 14 Apr. 2026 The study identified type 2 diabetes as the leading cause of death associated with early-onset obesity. —

Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 14 Apr. 2026 Scars still exist from the Napster days and how unequipped the record labels were to handle the massive scale piracy from peer-to-peer filesharing sites, which cratered music’s value until the onset of the streaming era finally stopped the bleeding. —

Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 14 Apr. 2026 Infected people are infectious for four days before the rash appears and for four days after its onset. —

Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 13 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for onset

Recent Examples of Synonyms for onset

Noun

There are also other artists, like Patricia Frischer, who has been doing a series of images about the #MeToo movement and women’s rights, which are also under attack at the moment.

— Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Apr. 2026
Cooper said that no US ships have come under attack since the operation began, and as of Friday there had been 19 vessels that had attempted to violate the blockade but heeded US warnings and returned back to port without incident.

— Mitchell McCluskey, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2026