ONSETS Synonyms: 125 Similar and Opposite Words

onsets

noun

plural of onset

as in attacks

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

as in beginnings

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of onsets Experts said the second earthquake began before the first had even ended, with the two onsets separated by just 39 seconds. — Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 26 June 2026 Anxiety disorders can persist into adulthood, particularly those disorders with early onsets and those that are left untreated. — Elana Bernstein, The Conversation, 13 May 2022

Recent Examples of Synonyms for onsets

Noun

Despite distancing herself from her Democratic predecessor, Klobuchar faced attacks from Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, who ran in the Republican primary, arguing that her leadership would be tantamount to giving Walz another term.

— Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 12 Aug. 2026
The attacks come as tensions are rising between the government of western Libya and warlord Mohamed Bahroun, who controls the city of Zawiya.

— ABC News, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of attacks

Noun

This is the story of a 73-year old company that's had a wild, transatlantic ride from its beginnings as a plumbing supply business in Virginia.

— Josh Brown,Sean Russo, CNBC, 13 Aug. 2026
Hailing from humble beginnings in Greenwood, South Carolina, his experiences with football have always been centered around doing the impossible – dreams his father put in his head at an early age.

— Ken Makin, Christian Science Monitor, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of beginnings

Noun

The shortage is costing Ukraine most acutely, where cities some nights appear defenseless to Moscow’s rocket assaults.

— Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026
Since October 2023, the number and severity of settler attacks have skyrocketed, including arson and other destruction of property, the killing of livestock, violent assaults and murder, taking place almost every day.

— Kamel Musallet, Sun Sentinel, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of assaults

Noun

State lawmakers are considering a bill that would require large retailers to preserve documentation of immigration enforcement activity on their premises, following ICE raids at Home Depot parking lots in Southern California last summer.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 15 Aug. 2026
His wannabe Robocops launch indiscriminate raids, operate detention facilities under conditions out of a Dickens novel and regularly don face masks to hide their identities.

— Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of raids

Noun

In the past few years, Underwood has come to realize that a bunch of barking alphas may not, in fact, be the best way to build a successful pack.

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
As a ballplayer, Kent was as irascible as Bonds; the two alphas reportedly brawled behind clubhouse doors, and famously clashed in the dugout during a 2002 game, when Bonds lunged for Kent’s throat and pushed him against the wall.

— Jeremy Collins, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2025

Definition of alphas

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onset

onsets

onslaught

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Style

“Onsets.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/onsets. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of onsets

noun

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