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.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of once
Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 22 Mar. 2025
And to top it off, Knoblauch was once again left irritated by a mistake from a depth player that eventually led to a pivotal goal against.
—Daniel Nugent-Bowman, The Athletic, 14 Mar. 2025
Demetrius Patterson, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
As the once leader of the industry, its woes rippled backward through the supply chain and forward into the airline industry which desperately needed new aircraft to meet the rising demand for post-pandemic travel.
—Jerrold Lundquist, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for once
Adverb
Then, once the Vikings publicly re-committed to second-year pro J.J. McCarthy as their franchise QB, Rodgers, 41, popped up on a Friday visit to the Steelers’ facility to meet with coach Mike Tomlin and GM Omar Khan, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 22 Mar. 2025
And to top it off, Knoblauch was once again left irritated by a mistake from a depth player that eventually led to a pivotal goal against.
—Daniel Nugent-Bowman, The Athletic, 14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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
As the once leader of the industry, its woes rippled backward through the supply chain and forward into the airline industry which desperately needed new aircraft to meet the rising demand for post-pandemic travel.
—Jerrold Lundquist, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for once
Recent Examples of Synonyms for once
Adverb
-
The transfer portal was on full display today for the Bruins as forward Timea Gardiner (formerly Oregon State) contributed 15 points, all beyond the arc, and of course, Betts (formerly Stanford) had 17 points in the paint, shooting 50%, going 7-for-14, seven rebounds, and six blocks.—
Allison Smith,
Forbes.com,
31 Mar. 2025
-
The first Trump administration’s tariffs grounded formerly soaring productivity and output in the American manufacturing sector.—
David B. McGarry,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Torossian served as former Council President Paul Krekorian’s chief of staff before joining Councilmember Adrin Nazarian’s staff.—
Dakota Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Mar. 2025
-
Usta, 24, and his father – who was the president of the Turkish Ski and Snowboard Teachers Association and a former national skier – had been staying at the Kervansaray Hotel in Uludağ, Bursa.—
Ben Morse,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Every year in the US, there are approximately 35,000 ER visits due to unintentional medication overdoses among children under 5 years old.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN,
1 Mar. 2025
-
The other part of him, the innie, is for all intents and purposes 2 1/2 years old.—
Gary Levin,
USA TODAY,
1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
These and many other student protests provide powerful strategies and lessons on resistance and how employees can advocate for workplace justice. 1.—
Janice Gassam Asare,
Forbes,
24 Mar. 2025
-
Two other fires were active in nearby Burke and Madison counties, with a third wildfire burning in Stokes County on the northern border with Virginia.—
ASSOCIATED PRESS,
TIME,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Porter Moser spent three seasons in the Big 12 before shepherding Oklahoma to the Southeastern Conference, making the longtime coach uniquely suited to compare the erstwhile best conference in America to the current king of college hoops.—
Dave Skretta,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2025
-
The focus right now is on Canada, an erstwhile friend, who has had enough of Trump after the surprise labeling them as fentanyl kingpins and smugglers of natural resources.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
16 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
His longevity is made more remarkable given his playing style; Mulgrew is a combative midfielder comfortable at carrying the ball, shuffling past opponents and drawing free kicks due to his low centre of gravity.—
Colin Millar,
The Athletic,
23 Mar. 2025
-
Plus, there’s many instances of past championship squads hitting a temporary roadblock – especially during the dog days of the schedule.—
Shane Young,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Led by Smith’s longtime bass player and keyboardist Tony Shanahan, the support crew included Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, former Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench, drummer and sometime Rolling Stone Steve Jordan, and guitarist Charlie Sexton.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
27 Mar. 2025
-
Vito Genovese, Frank’s sometime friend and longtime rival, is having a more eventful evening, overseeing the murder of his wife’s ex-husband.—
Justin Chang,
The New Yorker,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
In court filings made late Monday in Baltimore, officials from 18 agencies confirmed that the workers were being reinstated, with most placed on administrative leave temporarily.—
Hannah Parry,
Newsweek,
19 Mar. 2025
-
Hayes was not good at all on a late power play when the Penguins trailed by one in the final minutes of the third period.—
Josh Yohe,
The Athletic,
19 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Once.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/once. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share