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
The onset of governmental licensing and regulation from the 1920s onward created a legal limbo for community radio, and in some nations led to a decline in community radio as commercial radio and, later, public radio expanded.
—
Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
How inflation develops will depend on what happens in the war and the crucial waterway of the Strait of Hormuz, which has been largely closed to oil tanker traffic since the onset of hostilities, stoking fears over oil and gas supplies in many parts of the world.
—ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
The early years of that time period coincided with the onset of the COVID pandemic, where there was little activity of any kind happening.
—Chase Jordan
april 22, Charlotte Observer, 22 Apr. 2026
California’s gas prices are the highest in the country and have risen sharply since the onset of the war with Iran.
—Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for onset
Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
How inflation develops will depend on what happens in the war and the crucial waterway of the Strait of Hormuz, which has been largely closed to oil tanker traffic since the onset of hostilities, stoking fears over oil and gas supplies in many parts of the world.
—ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
The early years of that time period coincided with the onset of the COVID pandemic, where there was little activity of any kind happening.
—Chase Jordan
april 22, Charlotte Observer, 22 Apr. 2026
California’s gas prices are the highest in the country and have risen sharply since the onset of the war with Iran.
—Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for onset
Recent Examples of Synonyms for onset
Noun
-
The Kings have prioritized defense for most of the past two decades, often playing a sticky, trapping style that doesn’t promote offensive creativity or attack.—
Greg Beacham,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
-
Severe is the second-highest rung on a five-point scale and means intelligence agencies consider an attack highly likely in the next six months.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
While the discourse was less frequent at the beginning of her weight-loss journey, the rise of GLP-1s has meant that more people are flocking to her page to commiserate and strategize.—
Laya Neelakandan,
CNBC,
2 May 2026
-
How can the Magic miss 23 straight shots at the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth?—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
Fritchey was initially arrested for first-degree assault.—
Christine Pelisek,
PEOPLE,
4 May 2026
-
In March, Jackson was found guilty of first-degree murder, assault of a pregnant individual intentionally causing miscarriage/stillbirth, and felony firearm.—
Joseph Buczek,
CBS News,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Had a really nice fastball that got him through the backend of his start.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2026
-
Right-hander Roki Sasaki strengthened his case Saturday with a quality start, despite some hiccups, as the Dodgers fell 3-2 to the Cardinals, extending their losing streak to four games.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
This onslaught has led to a musical chairs of lawsuits and settlements—and, occasionally, partnerships—between the Big Three labels and the AI startups attempting to crib their artists’ styles.—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Makar’s second-period brilliance held as the game-winning goal, while Nicolas Roy and Devon Toews added to the onslaught in the third period.—
Peter Baugh,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Tasos Katopodis / Getty Images Since its inception, presidents have frequented the Washington Hilton.—
Katrina Kaufman,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
According to Powerball, the jackpot has been hit almost 200 times since the lottery's inception in 1992.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Pritzker last fall tasked the Illinois Accountability Commission with fact-finding about the sweeping Chicago-area raids for posterity, the public eye and potential future law enforcement actions, but the panel itself has no direct law enforcement power.—
Olivia Olander,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
-
The same nurses hailed as essential workers during the pandemic are now dealing with the impact of ICE raids and ICE presence in hospitals, endangering nurses and their patients.—
Sonia Lawrence,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
For example, Harvard University's commencement exercises will be held on Thursday, May 28.—
Gabe Hauari,
USA Today,
1 May 2026
-
Games 6 and 7, if needed, would be played at Independence Community Ice and would be closed to the public because of limited capacity — those games cannot be played at Cable Dahmer Arena due to a scheduling conflict with local high school commencement ceremonies.—
The Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Onset.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/onset. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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