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
At Larkin, Williams was diagnosed not with worsening dementia but with schizophrenia, whose onset usually occurs in the late teens or early 20s.
—
Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2026
Earlier, Lucknow struggled from the onset against the pace of Mukesh Kumar (0-17) in the power play while Lungi Ngidi (3-27) and Natarajan (3-29) intelligently varied their pace.
—ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
Roughly 90% of these tumors are diagnosed in patients under 20 years old, often around the onset of puberty, making Tamura an outlier.
—Rachel Hale, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026
After a dip in 2020 with the onset of COVID – likely due to underdiagnosis and reduced screenings, according to health experts – cases of TB have increased every year since.
—Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for onset
Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2026
Earlier, Lucknow struggled from the onset against the pace of Mukesh Kumar (0-17) in the power play while Lungi Ngidi (3-27) and Natarajan (3-29) intelligently varied their pace.
—ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
Roughly 90% of these tumors are diagnosed in patients under 20 years old, often around the onset of puberty, making Tamura an outlier.
—Rachel Hale, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026
After a dip in 2020 with the onset of COVID – likely due to underdiagnosis and reduced screenings, according to health experts – cases of TB have increased every year since.
—Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for onset
Recent Examples of Synonyms for onset
Noun
-
Riverside County Department of Animal Services officials are seeking help from the public in locating a pair of dogs that were recently involved in an attack on a wild burro, part of a series of attacks on the creatures dating back to late 2025.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
His two-run single helped Andrew go up 5-0 after the first, and his versatility is a key component of the Thunderbolts’ attack.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Without spoiling too much, Kane and Palk get to bond over their Kansas City roots in the beginning of the show.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The geologist Charles Lyell proposed that the very ground beneath mankind’s feet had been reshaped countless times before the beginning of human history and was even now in a state of flux.—
Kathryn Hughes,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Malek Daniels, 20, pleaded guilty Friday to voluntary manslaughter, armed criminal action and second-degree assault, according to a Jackson County plea and sentencing document.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Perez, 57 at the time of his 2020 arrest, was days away from release from Kern Valley State Prison where he had been held on a conviction of assault with intent to commit rape.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Kings came into the game stressing a good start, having been outscored 5-1 in the first period of their previous three outings, and instead face planted to spot the Maple Leafs a 2-0 lead through 20 minutes.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Saturday’s quality start was quite a bit more delicate than his last, too.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Still, Iran's military and government survived the onslaught, are still functioning, and are now making their own demands in negotiations that lie ahead.—
Greg Myre,
NPR,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Resisting an early onslaught from PSG is key to Liverpool's chances of keeping the tie alive heading into the return leg at Anfield next week.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
At least, Fowler, who’s covered every season since the franchise’s inception, thinks so.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Since its inception in 1981, Wednesday's Child has been a collaboration of the Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE), the Department of Children & Families and WBZ-TV/CBS Boston.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Grainy security video distributed by police after the raid appeared to show three people opening a museum door with a large crowbar, after which an explosion is seen.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Perhaps the most significant victory for Walmart is its successful raid on the high-income demographic.—
Arthur Zaczkiewicz,
Footwear News,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Grasso will be on hand for U-M's spring commencement May 2, when former Fab Five basketball star Jalen Rose will be the speaker.—
John Wisely,
Freep.com,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Los Angeles Philharmonic Music and Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel will deliver the keynote address at USC’s 143rd commencement ceremony at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in May, university officials announced on Monday.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Onset.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/onset. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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