once upon a time
idiom
: at some time in the past
He was a famous actor once upon a time.
Note: Once upon a time is the traditional way to begin a fairy tale.
Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess named Snow White.
Examples of once upon a time in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
And how could anyone else be any more trustworthy than George, who, at least, once upon a time, was democratically elected to lead?
—
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 20 Feb. 2025
But once upon a time, states really did leave the Union, and fielded armies against it.
—arkansasonline.com, 12 Feb. 2025
Overly Fussy Ruffles and Swags Ruffles, flounces, and swags had their moment once upon a time, but they’ve been replaced by cleaner, more tailored designs.
—Sophie Flaxman, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Feb. 2025
The Harry Potter films were once upon a time a depository for every British and Irish thespian in the business — Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Gary Oldman, Richard Harris, and Michael Gambon — the list goes on.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for once upon a time
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Ben Travers, IndieWire, 20 Feb. 2025
But once upon a time, states really did leave the Union, and fielded armies against it.
—arkansasonline.com, 12 Feb. 2025
Overly Fussy Ruffles and Swags Ruffles, flounces, and swags had their moment once upon a time, but they’ve been replaced by cleaner, more tailored designs.
—Sophie Flaxman, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Feb. 2025
The Harry Potter films were once upon a time a depository for every British and Irish thespian in the business — Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Gary Oldman, Richard Harris, and Michael Gambon — the list goes on.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for once upon a time
Cite this Entry
“Once upon a time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/once%20upon%20a%20time. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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