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
-
As the United States has escalated its attacks on Iran, there’s something pleasingly transgressive about bringing Iranian elements into such overtly Western music—so much so that the songs without Yaghmai’s playing seem a little subdued in comparison.—
Molly Mary O’Brien,
Pitchfork,
15 May 2026
-
This one way attack drone is aimed at delivering affordable mass capabilities and is engineered for adaptability, and autonomous operations.—
Aditya Jadhav,
Interesting Engineering,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
The language of covenant, liberty, moral responsibility, human dignity, and redemption helped shape the nation’s moral imagination from the very beginning.—
Ari Berman,
New York Daily News,
15 May 2026
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And the most exciting part is that this is only the beginning.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Noun
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Not coincidentally, Netanyahu’s coalition—which dominates the Knesset with a majority of sixty-four seats, out of a hundred and twenty—has renewed its legislative assault on the court.—
Bernard Avishai,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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Castro faces multiple second-degree felony assault charges involving a weapon and one count of falsely reporting a crime, a misdemeanor, according to a criminal complaint.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
Since 2008, starting pitchers have thrown only three pitches of a hundred and three miles per hour or more, including one that Misiorowski threw in his previous start, against the Washington Nationals.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
-
The company makes its products from start to finish.—
Emily M. Olson,
Hartford Courant,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
This teaching is more urgent now because of tech-heavy medicine and the coming onslaught of AI in patient care.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 May 2026
-
That acknowledgement sparked an onslaught of questions that will likely rest on when Hoskins, a Republican and staunch supporter of the map, decides whether the campaign can reach the ballot.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
14 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
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Several other concerns were raised during the roughly three-hour hearing, including questions about how to best protect visitors and participants from federal immigration raids.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026
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While those behind the recent maritime raids have yet to be identified, previous ship captures have often involved young Somalis from impoverished communities and armed extremists affiliated with global terror networks.—
Nimi Princewill,
CNN Money,
15 May 2026
Noun
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The thesis of Brady’s commencement, though, was battling through adversity and never quitting, and the best way for Brady to tell his motivational message was by telling the story of his Super Bowl LI comeback against the Atlanta Falcons.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2026
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From New York University commencement ceremonies to emotional social media tributes, stars including Reese Witherspoon, Christy Turlington and Kate Hudson are sharing proud moments as their children graduate.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Onset.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/onset. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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