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
At one end was a big frame house which once upon a time rose all alone in the middle of a truck farm.
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Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025
Well, that’d be Phil Mickelson, who once upon a time would’ve been a beguiling pick for Bethpage.
—Brendan Quinn, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
Apple of Shanahan’s eye The 49ers’ lone standard practice squad elevation was Eli Apple, who once upon a time was the 10th overall pick of the NFL Draft for the New York Giants in 2016.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 29 Sep. 2025
Note that hyphenated last name — once upon a time, that alone would be enough to establish your wokeness and thus invulnerability from any kind of disciplinary action, let alone having to work, at ZooMass.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for once upon a time
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Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025
Well, that’d be Phil Mickelson, who once upon a time would’ve been a beguiling pick for Bethpage.
—Brendan Quinn, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
Apple of Shanahan’s eye The 49ers’ lone standard practice squad elevation was Eli Apple, who once upon a time was the 10th overall pick of the NFL Draft for the New York Giants in 2016.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 29 Sep. 2025
Note that hyphenated last name — once upon a time, that alone would be enough to establish your wokeness and thus invulnerability from any kind of disciplinary action, let alone having to work, at ZooMass.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 28 Sep. 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 1 Oct. 2025.
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