as in former
having been such at some previous time
the once child star is now a lawyer in the entertainment industry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in when
just at the moment that
you should have stopped wrestling once you knew someone was getting hurt, not five minutes later
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of once
Rebecca Schneid, Time, 24 May 2025
Perhaps the main difference between them is that Ethan Hunt has died, three times: once by electrocution and twice by drowning.
—Tyler Foggatt, New Yorker, 24 May 2025
Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 14 Jan. 2025
For Silver, there can no peace until the new school, and the resurgence of Cobra Kai headed by his once friend and now nemesis Kreese, gets some payback.
—Demetrius Patterson, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for once
Adverb
While the 90-day pause, set to expire on July 9, has offered the E.U. a reprieve, Trump’s threat to enforce a 50% tariff starting June 1 has once again spiked tensions and the markets have responded negatively.
—Rebecca Schneid, Time, 24 May 2025
Perhaps the main difference between them is that Ethan Hunt has died, three times: once by electrocution and twice by drowning.
—Tyler Foggatt, New Yorker, 24 May 2025
Adjective
But Smith also had some choice words for the once and future president.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 14 Jan. 2025
For Silver, there can no peace until the new school, and the resurgence of Cobra Kai headed by his once friend and now nemesis Kreese, gets some payback.
—Demetrius Patterson, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for once
Recent Examples of Synonyms for once
Adverb
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What To Know Damien Symon, an open-source intelligence expert, posted a satellite image on X (formerly Twitter) showing the Liaoning underway in the Philippine Sea, approximately 430 nautical miles (494 miles) southeast of Taiwan, accompanied by two escorting ships on Wednesday.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 May 2025
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The next day, 23-year-old Wayne Lucas was taken into custody in Virginia in connection with the attack, New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said in a May 28 post on X, formerly known as Twitter.—
Natalie Demaree,
Miami Herald,
29 May 2025
Adjective
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Thornton and Veronica Burton — both former Dallas Wings teammates — combined for 13 points in the third, but the lead again stretched to 16 at the end of the third.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
28 May 2025
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Legends finds Jackson playing Victor, a former boxing champ and pizzeria owner.—
Nicole Acosta,
People.com,
28 May 2025
Adjective
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Former New College student Katie Helms, 47, got emotional when remembering her old mentor.—
Toria Sheffield,
People.com,
25 May 2025
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Needless to say, building Hotel Emma out of the old Pearl Brewery was a massive undertaking, and its owner, Silver Ventures, made several sustainable choices during construction.—
Mae Hamilton,
Travel + Leisure,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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The pair have known each other for a while, with Ferguson guesting on Hot in Cleveland and Malick appearing on Modern Family.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
25 May 2025
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The effective ban at Harvard created a chilling effect at other colleges nationwide, while imperiling operations at the storied Cambridge, Massachusetts campus.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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This and other such studies are significant steps in the erstwhile direction of mapping brain-mind formulations to the nature of mental disorders.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
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In 2017 under the erstwhile Nebraska star, the Knights capped a 13-0 season by defeating Auburn in the Peach Bowl.—
Matt Murschel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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The Bears have won 11 of their past 12 games. Pierce, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI, singled to centerfield to bring Bears catcher Lauren Daugherty home in the second inning for the game’s first score.—
Buddy Collings,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 May 2025
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Previously, scientists have found tiny crustaceans, prehistoric mollusks and even hell ants encased in the orangey resin, a window into worlds past.—
Sara Hashemi,
Smithsonian Magazine,
23 May 2025
Adjective
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Instead, Trump took a number of potshots at his sometime opponent during a Tuesday press conference, less than 48 hours after ordering the Bureau of Prisons to reopen Alcatraz as a federal penitentiary.—
Nicole Nixon,
Sacbee.com,
7 May 2025
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The fang gang present themselves as yearning European folk enthusiasts and later as jigging fiends and sometime metalheads.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The epilogue takes the form of an obituary for the magazine’s late founder, but also acts as Anderson’s charming ode to the golden age of longform journalism.—
Shannon Carlin,
Time,
30 May 2025
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But the younger Marley is not standing in the shadows of his late father.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Once.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/once. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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