while 1 of 2

while

2 of 2

conjunction

1
as in when
at or during the time that pay attention while I'm explaining how the new phone system works

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in although
in spite of the fact that while this term paper is very well done, it's still late

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 while
Noun
That’s been the process for a while. Mackenzie Cummings-Grady, Billboard, 6 Nov. 2025 Huntr/x will return to the screen… but the girl group’s reunion tour might take a while. Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 5 Nov. 2025 And Kenvue has been on the selling block for a while now, ever since it was spun off from Johnson & Johnson in 2023. NPR, 4 Nov. 2025 The unleashing of a spot by the former into the space of the latter could prove a litmus test for consumers’ appetite for AI video while also, perhaps, serving as a tool further normalizing its consumption. Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 3 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for while
Recent Examples of Synonyms for while
Noun
  • The big story Sipping coffee in a café surrounded by Singapore’s skyline, Anshuman Magazine of real estate services firm CBRE told me that global capability centers (GCCs) accounted for 38% of office space demand in India in the third quarter.
    Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more!
    Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 6 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • That merely meant coach Brian Dutcher didn’t have to delicately parcel out playing time while massaging egos on his Mariana Trench-deep roster, and the bench shortened by circumstance delivered a 77-45 win powered by a pair of true freshmen and a typically frenetic defensive effort.
    Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Nov. 2025
  • As companies pour trillions into transformation efforts, few see lasting results.
    Jana Werner, Harvard Business Review, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Another Halloween fanatic, Janelle Monáe fully committed to the bit by dressing as the Cat in the Hat for her Jennifer Hudson Spirit Tunnel walk.
    Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
  • Use a mulching mower to chop the leaves into tiny bits that can be left on the lawn to nourish the soil.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • But the organization needs resources to sustain its essential work and to achieve its laudable goal of ending elder hunger in the city in the next 15 years.
    Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 4 Nov. 2025
  • Many people took the day off from work and brought their children to take part in the festivities.
    Steve Futterman, NPR, 4 Nov. 2025
Conjunction
  • But scientists and doctors say things aren’t that simple — and a belief that exposing children to marijuana, either directly or indirectly, is harmless isn’t supported by the facts.
    Daniel M. Jimenez, The Cannifornian, 22 June 2017
  • But with a full and volatile season behind them, the two have grown closer, prompting check-ins from Bradford last month, seeking tidbits from his coach who watched OTA practices on a tablet from his Kentucky retreat.
    Chad Graff, Twin Cities, 15 June 2017

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Cite this Entry

“While.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/while. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.

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