Synonyms of onward

onward

adverb

ˈȯn-wərd 

variants also onwards

1

as in forward

toward a point ahead in space or time

we must continue to move onward, or we will die in this desert

Synonyms & Similar Words

• forward
• forth
• on
• ahead

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• backward

2

as in along

toward or at a point lying in advance in space or time

work on the project has been continuing onward at a steady pace

Synonyms & Similar Words

• forward
• along
• forwards
• forth
• ahead
• on
• before
• fore
• frontward

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• back
• backward
• behind
• rearward

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of onward

The story goes that cheaper flights and package holidays from the nineteen-sixties onward sent most Brits to sunnier shores abroad. — George Francis Lee, New Yorker, 12 Aug. 2026

Following separation from Falcon 9's main booster, the rocket's second stage flew onward to LEO, delivering its 24 Starlink satellites about one hour after liftoff. — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 12 Aug. 2026

Offering an incredibly detailed snapshot of upper-class life in Istanbul from the 1970s onwards, Pamuk has successfully created one of the most moving exhibitions to date—a real highlight of the city. — Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Aug. 2026

He was surrounded by family, twelve sets of hands holding his lifeless body, sending him onward with heartache and love and stunned disbelief. — Dr. Lucy McBride, Time, 8 Aug. 2026