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
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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
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Recent Examples of onset
Even though his bloodwork looked normal six months previously, sudden onset or acute renal failure can happen in an old dog for no apparent reason other than age and result in bilious vomiting.
—
Dr. John De Jong, Boston Herald, 8 June 2025
Making moves after learning is just as critical as learning from the onset.
—Fnu Anupama, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
Alex’s attorney, Jim Griffin, revealed that the grieving husband and father was considered a person of interest from the onset of the authorities’ investigation into the murders.
—Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 7 June 2025
Coming midseason are Fox’s Doc Martin remake Best Medicine and Memories of a Killer, in which a hitman develops early onset Alzheimer’s.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for onset
Dr. John De Jong, Boston Herald, 8 June 2025
Making moves after learning is just as critical as learning from the onset.
—Fnu Anupama, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
Alex’s attorney, Jim Griffin, revealed that the grieving husband and father was considered a person of interest from the onset of the authorities’ investigation into the murders.
—Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 7 June 2025
Coming midseason are Fox’s Doc Martin remake Best Medicine and Memories of a Killer, in which a hitman develops early onset Alzheimer’s.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for onset
Recent Examples of Synonyms for onset
Noun
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Sunday’s attacks follow Russian President Vladimir Putin’s comments two days ago that Moscow is ready for a fresh round of direct peace talks in Istanbul.—
Volodymyr Yurchuk,
Chicago Tribune,
29 June 2025
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In the far-western Lviv region, a large fire broke out at an industrial facility in the city of Drohobych after a drone attack that also cut electricity to parts of the city.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
29 June 2025
Noun
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Where To Spend, Who To Support From its humble beginnings to becoming a worldwide celebration, Pride has always been political.—
Brett F. Braley-Palko,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
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After missing four games due to a concussion and an illness at the beginning of June, Bueckers has been on a tear.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
23 June 2025
Noun
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While Quansah gave away a penalty to make it 2-1, England defended Spain’s second half onslaught incredibly well both collectively and individually.—
Nnamdi Onyeagwara,
New York Times,
21 June 2025
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Shops have been closed across Tehran, including in its famed Grand Bazaar, as people wait in gas lines and pack roads leading out of the city to escape the onslaught.—
Joseph Krauss,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2025
Noun
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Shohei Ohtani pitched one hitless inning in his second mound start of the season before hitting a three-run triple and a two-run homer, and Max Muncy had a grand slam and a three-run homer in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 13-7 victory over the Washington Nationals on Sunday.—
Greg Beacham,
Chicago Tribune,
23 June 2025
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And Abel will have five days to think about his next start at the Atlanta Braves.—
Matt Gelb,
New York Times,
22 June 2025
Noun
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Julia and Jock told me the event was cathartic, especially with everything going on: the ICE raids, the casual erasure of trans people.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
25 June 2025
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This Pride month, in the face of a U.S. administration that is targeting the community and with immigration raids as a backdrop, actions like his have become more important than ever.—
José Criales-Unzueta,
Vogue,
25 June 2025
Noun
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Their route to walking across the stage to receive a diploma might have taken some detours and extra years, but the joy in earning a high school diploma or equivalency certificate was evident at the Poway Adult School’s 60th annual commencement ceremony.—
Elizabeth Marie Himchak,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 June 2025
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Video shows Oh asking every attendee to stand up and participate from the commencement stage to the bleachers.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
18 June 2025
Noun
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Beijing has also softened its regulatory assault on Chinese technology companies and the property sector.—
Jacky Wong,
WSJ,
6 Feb. 2023
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Zelenskyy has warned for weeks that Moscow aims to step up its assault after about two months of virtual stalemate along the front line that stretches across the south and east.—
Reuters,
NBC News,
31 Jan. 2023
Noun
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Since its inception, in 2000, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which works with local governments to bring vaccines to low-income countries, has helped administer 1.9 billion vaccines and reached a billion children.—
Rivka Galchen,
New Yorker,
27 June 2025
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Ross has been a foundational voice for AEW since its inception.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Onset.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/onset. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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