once 1 of 3

adverb

ˈwən(t)s How to pronounce once (audio)
Definition of oncenext
as in formerly
at an earlier or previous time I once knew the quotation, but time has taken its toll on my brain cells

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

once

2 of 3

adjective

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

once

3 of 3

conjunction

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. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of once
Adverb
Bartiromo was a respected business journalist at CNBC, and popular, too — Joey Ramone once wrote a song about her. — Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 3 Sep. 2026 Taking this unpaid time upfront, Bornstein hoped, might help shift the tenor of appointments later, and might even convince some to vaccinate once there was a sense of trust. — Eric Boodman, STAT, 3 Sep. 2026
Adjective
Joseph Duggar's arrest is the latest fall from grace for the once picture-perfect Duggar family. — Melina Khan, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026 The once summer home became a residential dwelling once more. — Nandika Chatterjee, Time, 5 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for once
Recent Examples of Synonyms for once
  1. formerly
  2. former
  3. old
  4. other
  5. erstwhile
  6. past
  7. sometime
  8. late
Adverb
  • Vanita Gupta, formerly Biden's associate attorney general and now director of the Center for Law and Public Trust at New York University's law school, is among them.
    — Eric McDaniel, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026
  • On Thursday, Miss USA crowned Justus Kelley, formerly Miss Virginia, as its winner.
    — Grey Battle, Washington Post, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of formerly
Adjective
  • Subramanyam said his calls were monitored between March and May, noting that at the time the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee was pushing for former Attorney General Pam Bondi to testify.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Thompson, who is the son of a former state lawmaker, was sentenced to 58 years in prison.
    — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of former
Adjective
  • The Dune star has five older half siblings from her father’s previous relationship.
    — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Newcastle had depleted full-back resources and Jaissle was convinced the 24-year-old’s athleticism was ideal.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of old
Adjective
  • Yes, Minteh and Sarr both operate on the right and buying one of them arguably would have provided a better balance to Iraola’s attacking department given that his other wide players prefer the left flank.
    — James Pearce, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • That happened again when the five other conservatives – but not Roberts and the three liberals − said the administration could slash hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of health research funding.
    — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of other
Adjective
  • Canada on Tuesday announced retaliatory tariffs of up to 50% percent on around $20 billion worth of US products, in an expanding trade war between the erstwhile allies.
    — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Constructed in the late 19th century, the erstwhile residence joined Grand Hotel Timeo in 1929 when the properties’ owners married.
    — Sam Cochran, Architectural Digest, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of erstwhile
Adjective
  • For example, expressing appreciation for past help or thanking the doctor for their time was more helpful than emphasizing sadness or frustration.
    — Paul Hsieh, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Last week, Congo began vaccinating health and other front-line workers with the Ervebo vaccine that was effective in past Ebola outbreaks caused by a different, more common type called Zaire.
    — Constant Same Bagalwa, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of past
Adjective
  • By the end of his life, Irving had established himself as a respected biographer and a sometime international diplomat.
    — Eric Lach, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Jimmy Tatro will play Gorilla Grodd, the superintelligent ape and sometime Superman nemesis.
    — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of sometime
Adjective
  • Many questions are set to be answered on Tuesday, and The Athletic will bring you all the latest through our dedicated live coverage.
    — Leon Imber, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • At this late juncture in the season, the instability of the Akira One’s revolving-door crew is taking its toll.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of late

Phrases Containing once

Browse Nearby Words

onanistic
once
once in a blue moon
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Once.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/once. Accessed 4 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 apiary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

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

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

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

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
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
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All