soon

adverb

ˈsün How to pronounce soon (audio)
Definition of soonnext
1
as in shortly
at or within a short time we'll be done soon

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in rather
by choice or preference I'd sooner have a cavity filled than suffer through that opera again

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in quickly
with great speed as soon as possible

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 soon But October might be a bit sooner than Costco has indicated for its opening. — Rose Evans august 4, Idaho Statesman, 4 Aug. 2026 When Vermeil soon thereafter retired again, Stiles rejoined the Chiefs … and became instrumental in luring Vermeil to Kansas City. — Kansas City Star, 4 Aug. 2026 However, Daniel Palencia will pitch at Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday and could be activated soon, resuming his closer role. — Greg Jewett, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026 Another is expected to open soon at a vacant East Palo Alto campus. — Kate Sequeira, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for soon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for soon
  1. shortly
  2. rather
  3. quickly
  4. preferably
  5. rapidly
  6. willingly
  7. swiftly
  8. readily
Adverb
  • The list of officers barred from testifying ballooned from just 66 in March 2023 to 290 in October 2024, shortly before then-Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx left office.
    — Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026
  • The pair’s attendance at Smith-Schuster and Kruk’s ceremony shortly came after their own at Madison Square Garden on Friday, July 3.
    — Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of shortly
Adverb
  • He was beaten rather handily by Napoleon Solo, the victor, and Iron Honor, in place, and was never a real threat to either horse.
    — Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • State lawmakers argued that schools should not be delaying reporting AI nudes until their own probes end but rather should be required to promptly tip off police, who are better positioned to investigate the crimes.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 31 July 2026
Definition of rather
Adverb
  • Milošević, in her UFC debut, earned a $100,000 performance bonus for her dominant victory, quickly setting her sights on future fights in the 135-pound division.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026
  • However, prison staff quickly intervened and separated both men, the outlet stated.
    — Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of quickly
Adverb
  • Limited-edition motorcycles often exist to inflate collectors' portfolios, but this one deserves to be ridden – preferably hard, preferably often.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 30 July 2026
  • According to EarthSky, look low in the east about 30 to 45 minutes before sunrise, preferably from a location with an unobstructed horizon.
    — Michael d'Estries, Travel + Leisure, 29 July 2026
Definition of preferably
Adverb
  • Beijing in recent years has rapidly expanded mandates for schools in ethnic minority regions to adopt primarily Chinese-language education, starting from kindergarten.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Accidents are common on climbing expeditions in northern Pakistan because of avalanches, falling ice and rock, high altitude and rapidly changing weather.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of rapidly
Adverb
  • But long waits to enter the stadium — delays that stemmed from operational failures rather than genuine demand — frustrated the same fans who had willingly queued for tickets weeks earlier.
    — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 31 July 2026
  • Consensual, purposeful data outperforms scraped noise every time—because users who willingly share offer better, more accurate information than those who've been tricked into doing so.
    — Mani Padisetti, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of willingly
Adverb
  • The retailer has been swiftly building on its in-house beauty offer with the addition of third-party brands and services such as skin and makeup consultations.
    — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Create psychological safety by addressing retaliation swiftly.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of swiftly
Adverb
  • Primates napping next to another animal or playing with them offers no readily apparent rewards—suggesting that this innate curiosity and friendliness is more deeply ingrained in humanity’s evolutionary journey.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 30 July 2026
  • Feathers make an unusually good PFAS record because they're built from keratin, a protein that many PFAS compounds bind to readily.
    — Refractor, Refractor, 30 July 2026
Definition of readily

Phrases Containing soon

Browse Nearby Words

sons of man
soon
sooner or later
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Soon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soon. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on soon

Nglish: Translation of soon for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All