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

Madrid will also retain 30 per cent of any future sale, a right of first refusal and exclusive buy-back clauses from the second season onwards. — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 5 Aug. 2026

Auteurs moving onwards and inwards include Beatrice Gibson with her debut feature, At Night, shot in 16mm for BBC Films. — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 4 Aug. 2026

In some ways, Sixteen Candles is a template for most of Hughes’s career, and the entire coming-of-age comedy genre from the ’80s onwards. — Al Shipley, SPIN, 4 Aug. 2026

As humans prepare to return to the Moon and journey onward to Mars, even the simple act of swallowing could play a small but important role in whether those missions succeed. — Sundeep Venkatesan, The Conversation, 3 Aug. 2026