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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of was
There was a lot going on in those four seconds of silence.
—
Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
And then there was the 2025 NHL draft.
—Tom Dougherty, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
Two days later, there was a teach-in at Columbia University.
—Louis Menand, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
According to the report, there was a moderate increase in the overall number of antisemitic incidents last year compared with 2024, but that total represents a huge jump from 2022, before the war in Gaza.
—ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
So while there was nostalgia playing here for the first time as a big-leaguer, Stewart also understood the task at hand.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 7 Apr. 2026
On March 24, there was one sequence when Jackson won the first rep only for Shelton to come back with a one-handed catch for a touchdown.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Apr. 2026
That alone would have set the chess world spinning, but there was more.
—Ben Mezrich, Vanity Fair, 6 Apr. 2026
Because there was a surprise falling out in Denver almost exactly one year ago.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 6 Apr. 2026
Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
And then there was the 2025 NHL draft.
—Tom Dougherty, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
Two days later, there was a teach-in at Columbia University.
—Louis Menand, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
According to the report, there was a moderate increase in the overall number of antisemitic incidents last year compared with 2024, but that total represents a huge jump from 2022, before the war in Gaza.
—ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
So while there was nostalgia playing here for the first time as a big-leaguer, Stewart also understood the task at hand.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 7 Apr. 2026
On March 24, there was one sequence when Jackson won the first rep only for Shelton to come back with a one-handed catch for a touchdown.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Apr. 2026
That alone would have set the chess world spinning, but there was more.
—Ben Mezrich, Vanity Fair, 6 Apr. 2026
Because there was a surprise falling out in Denver almost exactly one year ago.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 6 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for was
Verb
-
Duggan lived and worked in China for about five years before his arrest, corporate records showed.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
LaMelo Ball beat his chest and shouted a few choice words, exhilarated after draining the bucket that ensured the Charlotte Hornets lived to play another day.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Pappas called the dusty hole along the cliffside where the county jail and West Publishing once stood an embarrassment that needed to be corrected, but also an opportunity to create something grand.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
14 Apr. 2026
-
McAdoo stood over by the cooler, and Jones kicked dust a few feet away, wielding an AR-15.—
Josh Owens,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Lowe, the fifth-longest-serving Ray with seven years and 57 days of service time, left ranked among the franchise leaders in numerous categories including homers (157, third); runs (415, sixth); extra-base hits (295, sixth) and doubles (126, eighth).—
Marc Topkin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Ahead of Coachella’s second weekend, then, here’s a list, ranked from worst to best, of every hit that Bieber has put inside the Top 10 of Billboard’s flagship singles chart, the Hot 100.—
Mikael Wood,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Staffers also contacted the Colorado State Patrol, as the 70-car pileup happened, to alert law enforcement.—
Alan Gionet,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Crash happened amid snowy weather The Colorado Department of Transportation previously warned motorists that winter driving conditions were being reported throughout the Interstate 70 Mountain Corridor on April 14.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Canton Village LLCs, which is co-owned by businessman Akrum Sheikh of Orange, is telling town officials that its plan would make the shopping complex more attractive, serve modern consumer needs and resolve the hodgepodge traffic flow that has existed at the property for decades.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
14 Apr. 2026
-
The small private, liberal arts college has existed in Amherst since 1965 as an alternative to traditional higher education.—
State House News Service,
Boston Herald,
14 Apr. 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
-
Horton exited his second start of the year in Cleveland on April 3 and was placed on the IL the next day.—
Andy Martinez,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Apr. 2026
-
He was placed onto a stretcher and lifted into an ambulance.—
Jan Wagner,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Apr. 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 19 Apr. 2026.
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