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
In Alzheimer’s disease, for example, people with more cognitive reserve often delay the onset of symptoms despite the presence of the amyloid and tau, two proteins that are the hallmark signs of the neurological disorder.
—
Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
According to reports, O'Hara, 71, died within hours of the onset of symptoms, the document reads.
—Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 9 Feb. 2026
People sick with measles are contagious from four days before the onset of the rash to four days after.
—Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 8 Feb. 2026
There's no specific medical treatment for measles; however, infected individuals should be isolated for 4 days after the onset of rash.
—Doris Alvarez Cea, Florida Times-Union, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for onset
Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
According to reports, O'Hara, 71, died within hours of the onset of symptoms, the document reads.
—Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 9 Feb. 2026
People sick with measles are contagious from four days before the onset of the rash to four days after.
—Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 8 Feb. 2026
There's no specific medical treatment for measles; however, infected individuals should be isolated for 4 days after the onset of rash.
—Doris Alvarez Cea, Florida Times-Union, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for onset
Recent Examples of Synonyms for onset
Noun
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Militants have carried out shooting attacks on troops, and Israel says its strikes are in response to that and other violations.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The administration’s attacks on Lemon and independent journalists have boosted their online attention and revenue.—
Drew Harwell,
Washington Post,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Intertextuality is described by Scarlett Barton in perhaps the opposite way, as linked to Roland Barthes’ observation that the author is dead, and that the text is the dissolution of every kind of voice, every beginning and core.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
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This approach may appeal to taxpayers who want more personalized guidance at the beginning of the tax relief process before deciding how to proceed.—
Roxanne Downer,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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There's fear the cases are widely underreported, and the airline industry and authorities aren't aggressively tracking in-air assaults.—
Scott MacFarlane,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
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Surprise, surprise, JPMorgan Chase and other big banks survived this outrageous assault upon their prerogatives.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Meanwhile, Little Miss Curlin lost for the first time in five starts, coming north after cleaning out the competition in her native Louisiana.—
Bob Wisener,
Arkansas Online,
15 Feb. 2026
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And 2026 is already off to a bloody start, with 46 killed so far, according to the group.—
Zeena Saifi,
CNN Money,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Only 40% of the city’s 260,000 residents managed to flee the onslaught alive, thousands of whom were wounded, the officials said.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Feb. 2026
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Our mammalian brains cannot process this onslaught of trauma here and everywhere; we are not wired to be in constant fight or flight.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
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According to Powerball, the jackpot has been hit almost 200 times since the lottery's inception in 1992.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
17 Feb. 2026
-
From its inception, fascism has functioned less as a system of thought than as a system of action.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Charges against 17 people arrested during demonstrations against Operation Midway Blitz immigration raids around Chicagoland last year have been dismissed as prosecutorial accusations have faded.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
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Fort Bragg is home to the Army's Special Operations Command and Delta Force, the elite special forces unit that reportedly executed the raid.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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These are the tentative dates, as the actual commencement date of Ramadan 2026 depends on the sighting of the moon.—
Lianna Norman,
Florida Times-Union,
13 Feb. 2026
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Known for his couture collections and dressing icons such as Cicely Tyson and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Michael previously served as a guest lecturer, critic and commencement speaker at the school.—
Lisa Lockwood,
Footwear News,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Onset.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/onset. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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