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
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Recent Examples of onset
Miller took the setback in stride, retreating to craft new restrictions on migration that used laws designed to protect the nation from disease to cut refugee admissions and block asylum seekers after the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
—
Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 11 May 2026
Those who are infected with hantavirus typically experience headache, dizziness, chills, fever, myalgia, and gastrointestinal problems, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, followed by the sudden onset of respiratory distress and hypotension, according to health officials.
—Noe Padilla, USA Today, 11 May 2026
That Johnson was Hafley’s first selection in the secondary means he will not only be asked to contribute early but will surely have his coach’s attention from the onset.
—Miami Herald, 11 May 2026
But the bikemaker slowly got pushed out of the spotlight with the onset of a thousand new Chinese rivals.
—New Atlas, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for onset
Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 11 May 2026
Those who are infected with hantavirus typically experience headache, dizziness, chills, fever, myalgia, and gastrointestinal problems, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, followed by the sudden onset of respiratory distress and hypotension, according to health officials.
—Noe Padilla, USA Today, 11 May 2026
That Johnson was Hafley’s first selection in the secondary means he will not only be asked to contribute early but will surely have his coach’s attention from the onset.
—Miami Herald, 11 May 2026
But the bikemaker slowly got pushed out of the spotlight with the onset of a thousand new Chinese rivals.
—New Atlas, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for onset
Recent Examples of Synonyms for onset
Noun
-
In recent years, a litany of violent, seemingly unprovoked attacks across Metro led to the deaths or severe injury of several passengers—a confirmation of Angelenos’ worst fears about the system.—
Oren Peleg,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
-
According to the Qataris, two Iranian ballistic missiles and three drone attacks led to the injury of three people in the Gulf nation.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
Clark spent six weeks at the beginning of this school year setting up and practicing classroom routines and procedures with her students.—
Stacker,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
-
Humble beginnings Menjívar arrived undocumented in the United States at age 18, fleeing a bloody civil war in El Salvador, stowed away in a car to avoid detection at the border.—
Max Saltman,
CNN Money,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Brown is expected to face multiple charges, including two counts of armed assault with intent to murder, along with weapons offenses.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
12 May 2026
-
After being medically cleared at a hospital, Villalobos-Espinoza was booked into the Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of vehicle theft, felony evading, assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer and an enhancement for prior theft convictions.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
The Warriors began the next season with a record 24-0 start without him as assistant Luke Walton led the way.—
Janie McCauley,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
-
Despite the slow start to her first season in the league, Plum ended the year with All-Rookie team honors.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
The move triggered an onslaught of requests from wind and solar developers wanting to build projects in Sardinia.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
7 May 2026
-
The Minnesota Wild, led by Quinn Hughes’ outstanding two-goal night, held on through a late-game onslaught.—
James Mirtle,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Eddie Vedder has curated Ohana since its inception back in 2016.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
12 May 2026
-
In a letter reviewed by USA TODAY, firearms retailers targeted in the program were told that since its inception in 2000, the agency’s tracing center had successfully traced 269,000 firearms from the records.—
Nick Penzenstadler,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
In Thursday’s season finale, Eddie is caught in the crosshairs of Anatoly Caster (Alan Starzinski), the scion of a corrupt businessman who was the target of a police raid, led by protagonist Athena Grant (Angela Bassett), for facilitating a human trafficking ring involving migrants in Los Angeles.—
Max Gao,
HollywoodReporter,
8 May 2026
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Shopping malls across Southern California have also struggled to bring sales back as immigration raids continue to scare customers away.—
Itzel Luna,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
While standing alone in Norlin Quad waiting to walk into Folsom Field for commencement, a grayed Pete Brock sparked the curiosity of a group of CU students that could be his grandchildren.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
8 May 2026
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All commencement ceremonies will be streamed live on the SAU Facebook page for those who wish to attend virtually.—
Ryan Anderson,
Arkansas Online,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Onset.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/onset. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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