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
Because of longer life expectancies, the onset of symptoms thankfully was not static at 35, but regardless of when people entered their midlife crisis, evidence of the phenomenon was observed around the world.
—
Tristan Bove, Fortune, 29 Jan. 2026
The results also showed increases in obesity among younger ages over the past several decades, representing earlier onset of obesity.
—Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026
Lyons Peak Brewing Well known in local homebrew circles for his lifelong obsession with fermentation and award-winning beers, Chad Steven debuted the first commercial offering from his Lyons Peak Brewing at the onset of last year’s San Diego Beer Week.
—Brandon Hernandez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Jan. 2026
Prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, off-premise sales made up about 30% of the restaurant’s revenue.
—Mars King, Twin Cities, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for onset
Tristan Bove, Fortune, 29 Jan. 2026
The results also showed increases in obesity among younger ages over the past several decades, representing earlier onset of obesity.
—Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026
Lyons Peak Brewing Well known in local homebrew circles for his lifelong obsession with fermentation and award-winning beers, Chad Steven debuted the first commercial offering from his Lyons Peak Brewing at the onset of last year’s San Diego Beer Week.
—Brandon Hernandez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Jan. 2026
Prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, off-premise sales made up about 30% of the restaurant’s revenue.
—Mars King, Twin Cities, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for onset
Recent Examples of Synonyms for onset
Noun
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One person was killed and two others were injured in an overnight Russian attack using drones and powerful glide bombs on the central Dnipropetrovsk region, according to the head of the regional military administration, Oleksandr Hanzha.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Feb. 2026
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The overnight attacks follow a recent lull in strikes on energy infrastructure by both sides, which was proposed by the US.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
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From the beginning, a mayoral run would have been a risky move for Horvath, who is not expected to face any major challengers to her own bid for reelection.—
David Zahniser,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
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At the beginning of January, two more lawsuits were filed.—
Gillian Stawiszynski,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Both Beijing and Hong Kong’s government have repeatedly rejected international criticism of Lai’s prosecution and dismissed accusations that his jailing was politically motivated or an assault on press freedom.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
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Another 43,000 arrestees are listed as having assault charges or convictions.—
Camilo Montoya-Galvez,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Plutarch lost his first four starts, including three in stakes races, before winning a maiden race on the final day of Del Mar’s fall meeting.—
Jay Posner,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2026
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On Friday night, the 2026 Olympic Winter Games got off to a thrilling start with the official opening ceremony, featuring the likes of Andrea Bocelli, Charlize Theron, Sabrina Impacciatore, and Mariah Carey.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Over the past two weeks, a persistent onslaught of snow and ice made much of Charlotte grind to a halt.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Feb. 2026
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Carpenter’s goal began the scoring onslaught for Team USA.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Since its inception in 2006, the Gala has raised more than $26 million, with beneficiaries including the Jackson Memorial Foundation Angels benefiting Holtz Children’s Hospital; SafeSpace; Dedication to Community; Home Strong; the American Cancer Society, and others.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Feb. 2026
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Sacerio succeeds Heather Kadin, who joined the Scripted Television division of Range Studios at its inception in the Spring of 2022, and has recently transitioned to independent producing, including as an EP on a forthcoming Apple series based on the Joona Linna novels by Lars Kepler.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The thieves snatched an overall eight pieces of jewelry — not including the crown — from the Louvre in the seven-minute raid back in October.—
Laura Sharman,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
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The Amazon-like company has been subjected to a number of investigations, raids, and inspections initiated by the Korea Fair Trade Commission, the country’s primary antitrust regulator, in recent years.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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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
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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,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Onset.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/onset. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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