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. commencements
  7. onslaughts
  8. alphas
Noun
  • Russia pounded Kyiv for more than 12 hours in a sixth straight night of attacks, killing at least 12 people including six railway workers and an Indian citizen, and devastating civilian districts.
    — Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Despite the recent attacks, Energy Secretary Chris Wright told reporters in Caracas, Venezuela that 17 million barrels of oil passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, the largest amount since the conflict began.
    — Gordon Lubold, NBC news, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of attacks
Noun
  • Humble beginnings Born on January 19, 1946 in a one-room cabin in Tennessee, Parton grew up the fourth of 12 children.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Kate O’Flynn has been a working actor for 20 years and, on this blinding August morning, is adjusting to the beginnings of her first-ever trip to Los Angeles.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of beginnings
Noun
  • His defense attorney previously said the assaults were not politically motivated and that DeFoor suffers from mental health issues.
    — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The strikes marked the sixth straight day of heavy Russian attacks on Kyiv that began last week and are an unprecedented stretch of consecutive aerial assaults since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbor more than 4½ years ago.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of assaults
Noun
  • In four career starts against the big-league opponents, Madsen is 0-4 and has mostly struggled.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The playbook that drove the first $100 million starts to drag.
    — Doug May, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of starts
Noun
  • During these latest raids on five properties, the military seized 18,000 gallons of diesel, fuel tanks, pumps, firearms, and tools.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The Pew Research Center estimates this number includes more than 330,000 Haitian migrants, who are now susceptible to ICE raids and deportations.
    — Nathan Lee, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of raids
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
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
  • 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

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 3 Sep. 2026.

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