ONSET Synonyms: 123 Similar and Opposite Words

onset

noun

ˈȯn-ˌset

Definition of onset

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 Green Bay Packers’ all-time leading rusher Ahman Green, who recently announced his diagnosis with early-onset Parkinson’s disease, will get the Matthew Thomas Robinson Courage Award. — Angelique Jackson, Variety, 21 Sep. 2026 After the show, the remainder of the tour was halted by the onset of COVID-19, and the rescheduled shows were later canceled due to health complications related to Dion’s stiff-person syndrome diagnosis. — Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2026 The two have met every other year since 2020, a byproduct of getting extra matchups beyond the usual inter-conference schedule this season and in 2022 thanks to the onset of the 17th game to the NFL regular-season schedule. — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2026 Over three-quarters included slow-onset events, such as requests for help building the infrastructure, including sea walls, and the capabilities to adapt to sea-level rise. — Tarun Gopalakrishnan, The Conversation, 18 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for onset

Recent Examples of Synonyms for onset

Noun

Avila said the attack left her with severe injuries to her arm and face, extensive scarring, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

— Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2026
His comments came days after the army chiefs of Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia met in Riyadh to discuss responses to Houthi attacks.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of attack

Noun

Success can also open the door to sequels and franchises, although Balmaceda said those opportunities don’t necessarily have to be engineered from the beginning.

— Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026
The early 1970s saw the tide of the conflict shift, with many analysts pinpointing 1972 as the beginning of the second stage of the war.

— Chinatsu Tsuji, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of beginning

Noun

Another suspect in the 2023 attacks, Italian anti-fascist activist Ilaria Salis, was jailed in Hungary for over a year following the assaults, resulting in a diplomatic dispute between Rome and Budapest over her treatment in detention.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026
Cotton also rejected an argument by Brown’s lawyers that jurors were biased because Brown’s felony conviction for his 2009 domestic violence assault on his then-girlfriend, Rihanna, was mentioned.

— Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of assault

Noun

The militant group took over roughly one-third of Iraq after key Iraqi army divisions collapsed and retreated in the onslaught.

— Jane Arraf, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026
If the Yankees can overcome that onslaught of left-handed pitching, another division foe awaits them in the ALDS.

— Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of onslaught

Noun

Coleman recalled a recent New York Times article that highlighted how immigration raids this summer — which surpassed 50,000 arrests in July and August — received little public backlash compared to last year’s wave.

— Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
In the United States, meanwhile, cities have come under siege by federal authorities carrying out sweeping anti-migrant raids.

— Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of raid

Noun

The day before commencement, Metze spent the afternoon watching Texas Tech softball on TV.

— Benjamin Wofford, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
The commencement of large payments before the works are completed has created the timing gap referred to above, squeezing liquidity in the immediate term.

— Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of commencement

Browse Nearby Words

onrushes

onset

onsets

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Style

“Onset.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/onset. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of onset

noun

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