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
  • Even as federal funding resumes, local colleges, businesses and nonprofits are joining county agencies in maintaining relief efforts for as long as Sacramento-area residents need them.
    Cathie Anderson, Sacbee.com, 12 Nov. 2025
  • The first Black cemetery in Tarrant County, home to the remains of more than 500 veterans, was rededicated on Veterans Day after a months-long restoration effort.
    Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Like so many other bits of Times coverage, the whole of the piece is structured as an orchestrated encounter.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Lyon’s magnetism touches the entire cast, but her bits with both Killam’s Boone and Chenoweth’s Tammy really leap off the screen.
    Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The team envisions this work accelerating the transition from laboratory prototypes to large-scale production, aligning closely with the nation’s carbon peaking and neutrality targets.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 11 Nov. 2025
  • Max Olson is writer-director and video artist based in New York & Los Angeles whose work aims to hold up a mirror to the restrictive structures of our world with an eye toward transcendence.
    Matt Grobar, Deadline, 10 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 21 Nov. 2025.

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