was (to)

verb

Definition of was (to)next
past tense of be (to)
as in treated
to behave toward in a stated way you need to be nice to your brother

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for was (to)
  1. treated
  2. served
  3. handled
Verb
  • For most of Saturday afternoon, Boise State treated one of college football’s most daunting stadiums with a suspicious lack of reverence.
    — Ira Gorawara, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The child was treated by medics on scene and taken to Cook Children’s Hospital, where she was pronounced dead in the emergency room.
    — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of treated
Verb
  • According to the trade counsel, the recent tit-for-tat trade actions undertaken by both Washington and Ottowa have served to illuminate the persistence of a trend that stands to continue over the coming months.
    — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 11 Sep. 2026
  • James as a firefighter and older brother Patrick served in the military in Iraq and Afghanistan before joining a cybersecurity firm.
    — Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of served
Verb
  • And post-race Hamilton again noted how Ferrari’s teamwork execution wasn’t handled well — on Saturday or Sunday.
    — Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Vanhée handled that dilemma confidently in her first collection, for the Fall 2015 season.
    — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of handled
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.

Browse Nearby Words

wasting (away)
was (to)
wastrel
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Was (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/was%20%28to%29. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of shofar

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

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

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

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

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
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
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All