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

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.

As Balla explained, once upon a time, the only djelis were the Kouyatés, but over the centuries, this social caste of musicians has expanded to include other families, such as the Diabates and Sissokos. —

Eliot Stein, Rolling Stone, 9 Dec. 2024 The bigger issue is Johnson, who once upon a time was such a promising leading actor, a mountain of a man capable of embodying unexpected vulnerability. —

Alison Willmore, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2024 The Yankees, despite generations of dominance once upon a time, haven't won a championship since 2009, and this is their first appearance in the World Series since then. —

Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 25 Oct. 2024 The platform gave me everything once upon a time, so many years ago. —

Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for once upon a time

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“Once upon a time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/once%20upon%20a%20time. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

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