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onsets

noun

plural of onset
1
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
2
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
  1. attacks
  2. beginnings
  3. assaults
  4. starts
  5. raids
  6. inceptions
  7. onslaughts
  8. commencements
Noun
  • Zelenskyy said Ukrainian special forces struck the Kuibyshev oil refinery in Samara, southeast of Moscow, and another refinery in the neighboring Bashkortostan region in overnight attacks.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026
  • In the days after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, makeshift memorials started to appear around the perimeter of Ground Zero and at sites around the world associated with the United States.
    — Hari Kunzru, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of attacks
Noun
  • Despite their rural beginnings, spending time in downtown Atlanta was a big part of Shyretha and Mike’s adulthood.
    — Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 24 Sep. 2026
  • The unraveling of a previous romantic relationship and the beginnings of her current love story with boyfriend and fellow country music artist Morgan Evans, inform her latest album.
    — Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of beginnings
Noun
  • Felony assaults in the park are down 15%, with only 12 compared to 14 in 2025.
    — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The assaults and robberies happened between February and October 2022.
    — Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of assaults
Noun
  • Instant help is at hand for clubs that have made slow starts or didn't get all their business done in the transfer market.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The Democratic candidate for a Fort Worth state House seat is dipping out of the race less than a month before voting starts.
    — Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of starts
Noun
  • The operations have led to the displacement of tens of thousands of Palestinians across the territory and military raids into Palestinian villages.
    — Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Government troops also conducted raids in various areas Thursday and killed 10 militants believed to be members of the Pakistani Taliban, the military and police said.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of raids
Noun
  • Eddie Buehler went 22 for 32 with 201 yards, two TDs and a pair of inceptions for the Black Bears (1-3).
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of inceptions
Noun
  • In fact, reported evidence suggests this software commitment (from a company making its revenue from hardware) has been crucial to Nvidia’s success in fending off onslaughts from other hardware vendors such as Intel.
    — Nisha Talagala, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Ukraine has been largely helpless in similar Russian onslaughts in recent weeks.
    — Tom Bowman, NPR, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of onslaughts
Noun
  • The students booing artificial intelligence at commencements across the country are not just worried about jobs.
    — Mark Bardeen Andrejevic, Washington Post, 10 July 2026
  • Recent Harvard commencements have grown much more political.
    — Michael Casey, Fortune, 29 May 2026
Definition of commencements

Browse Nearby Words

onset
onsets
onslaught
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Cite this Entry

“Onsets.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/onsets. Accessed 25 Sep. 2026.

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