1
as in lived
to have life
stories that begin with the familiar line "once upon a time there was a beautiful maiden"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in ranked
to take or have a certain position within a group arranged in vertical classes
our school's football team is first in its division
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in happened
to take place
the party is next Saturday
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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show current usage.
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Recent Examples of was
There was no immediate word on the circumstances surrounding the vehicle driving off the pier.
—
Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
There was more tension than cheering for the Venezuela faithful as MLB veterans Aaron Nola and Michael Lorenzen kept Italy ahead through six innings.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
In a culture and industry obsessed with youth, too many women in midlife and above have been told that their time was up or that there wasn’t room for their talents.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 16 Mar. 2026
There was a moment when Jimmy Iovine really liked you guys, was pushing your singles.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2026
There was also no ignoring where the game happened.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 16 Mar. 2026
And there was a Pullman family reunion when Bill teamed up with son, Jack.
—ABC News, 16 Mar. 2026
There was an array of local snacks and drinks in the fridge, plus local coffee and tea.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Mar. 2026
There was no immediate White House comment.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
There was more tension than cheering for the Venezuela faithful as MLB veterans Aaron Nola and Michael Lorenzen kept Italy ahead through six innings.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
In a culture and industry obsessed with youth, too many women in midlife and above have been told that their time was up or that there wasn’t room for their talents.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 16 Mar. 2026
There was a moment when Jimmy Iovine really liked you guys, was pushing your singles.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2026
There was also no ignoring where the game happened.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 16 Mar. 2026
And there was a Pullman family reunion when Bill teamed up with son, Jack.
—ABC News, 16 Mar. 2026
There was an array of local snacks and drinks in the fridge, plus local coffee and tea.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Mar. 2026
There was no immediate White House comment.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for was
Verb
-
First responders located a 12-year-old girl who lived at the home.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
19 Mar. 2026
-
This Revive formula lived up to its name, adding more shine, bounce, and control after the very first use.—
Catharine Malzahn,
Glamour,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Ronald White of Milton, dressed in colonial attire, stood among a line of reenactors firing replica muskets in the church’s graveyard following the service and said the anniversary carries personal meaning.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Less than a block from where the convention center once stood, the cafe typically saw heavy foot traffic from SXSW.—
Andrea Guzmán,
Austin American Statesman,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Lubbock ranked 26th, Texarkana ranked 28th, Abilene ranked 38th and Midland came in 48th.—
Karoline Leonard,
Austin American Statesman,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Nordic countries have topped the happiness list for decades, and Denmark has consistently ranked in the top three.—
Leigh Kiniry,
CBS News,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The testimony happened as attorneys for 13-year-old Nelson Nuñez and 12-year-old Jusiah Jones requested that the youngsters be released on bond.—
Peter D'Oench,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Explain what happened between you and your brother.—
Jeanne Phillips,
Dallas Morning News,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The rodents have existed outside state code for the simple reason that they weren’t known to be in the state.—
Mark Dee
March 17,
Idaho Statesman,
17 Mar. 2026
-
This one is likely to set records for its strength relative to the time of year and could even rival or beat previous intense heat domes that existed during the summer months, such as the 2021 event.—
Andrew Freedman,
CNN Money,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Levi Jones, a 33-year-old business owner, pulled up to Sacred Eye Tattoos in Hollywood last week and sat for eight hours getting a photorealistic black-and-white portrait of Mangione on his leg.—
Amanda Rosa,
Orlando Sentinel,
24 Dec. 2024
-
The birthday boy and his big sister Sterling Skye, 3, each sat between one of their parents’ laps.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
24 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
When the system was placed into milk samples containing sakacin P, the bacteria responded and generated a detectable electrical signal within a few hours.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Mar. 2026
-
In past years, a biological decontamination unit was placed in the area and military-grade drones flew overhead.—
Hannah Fry,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
That came just a few days after news broke that Palantir had secured a $10 billion contract from the US Army over the next decade.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
7 Aug. 2025
-
All five of Bednar’s outs came via strikeout on Wednesday.—
Brendan Kuty,
New York Times,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Was.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/was. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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