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

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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
  • Attacks continued, despite a peace agreement The government struck a peace agreement with Tigrayan rebels in 2022, ending most hostilities, but attacks on healthcare continued.
    — Durrie Bouscaren, NPR, 10 Nov. 2026
  • The last three-way talks, in Geneva nine months ago, also took place as attacks continued.
    — Susie Blann, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of attacks
Noun
  • Amin Joseph is 46, playing Sonny Liston, who was in his early-to-mid 30s, but Liston was an old 33, having spent years in prison after his rough and impoverished beginnings.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The women to Vermont State-Castleton in overtime, the men to Johnson & Wales, but this was a night about beginnings, everything that happened a first.
    — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of beginnings
Noun
  • During the sentencing hearing the victims submitted statements about how the assaults had impacted their lives.
    — K.J. Yossman, Variety, 9 Nov. 2026
  • He was first received into the state prison system in 1996 and later received additional sentences for possessing or manufacturing a weapon while incarcerated and two separate assaults on correctional officers involving gassing.
    — Richard Ramos, CBS News, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of assaults
Noun
  • The 2016 Cubs, along with the Toronto Blue Jays that year, are the last to have five pitchers each make at least 29 starts during a regular season.
    — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Both teams got off to sluggish starts with the Nets taking a 12-10 lead on Randle's 3-pointer with less than five minutes left in the first quarter.
    — CBS New York Team, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of starts
Noun
  • After the raids ramped up in January, tens of thousands of former workers ended up in the capital, Phnom Penh, many sleeping in the streets.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2026
  • American bombers aiming for Nantes’ port hit the city center instead, killing about 1,400 people and destroying more than 700 buildings in two raids.
    — Shahnaz Bashir, The Conversation, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of raids
Noun
  • McKenzie went 17 for 28 with 295 yards and two inceptions for the Eagles (3-3, 1-2 Atlantic Coast Conference).
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of inceptions
Noun
  • Its songs are littered with black holes, disasters, nuclear bombs; there are guttural screams and onslaughts of distorted guitar.
    — Marissa Lorusso, Pitchfork, 28 Oct. 2026
  • 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
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 13 Nov. 2026.

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