once 1 of 3

as in formerly
at an earlier or previous time I once knew the quotation, but time has taken its toll on my brain cells

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

once

2 of 3

adjective

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

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Examples 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
Now, four years after resigning his seat in the legislature amid a burgeoning federal corruption investigation, Madigan is banking on his word once again. Megan Crepeau, Chicago Tribune, 12 Jan. 2025 The villa had been completely renovated once before, in the 1980s, though its landmark status kept the façade untouched. Ulrich Clewing, Architectural Digest, 12 Jan. 2025
Adjective
As job gains dropped off from their once breakneck pace, economists were quick to note that the labor market was merely slowing and not at risk of imminent collapse. Alicia Wallace, CNN, 4 Oct. 2024 But the uprisings profoundly undermined the United States’ core alliances, encouraging local powers to pursue policies at odds with Washington’s and inviting global competitors such as China and Russia into the once unipolar region. Marc Lynch, Foreign Affairs, 8 Dec. 2020 See all Example Sentences for once 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for once
Adverb
  • This is, as its name would suggest, the second car from Polestar, formerly Volvo’s performance division – a bit like AMG is to Mercedes – but now a sister brand that, like Volvo, is owned by Chinese automotive giant Geely.
    Alistair Charlton, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025
  • What To Know In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Penny is seen riding the subway.
    Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Their former The Hills co-stars Brody Jenner, Kristin Cavallari, Whitney Port and Audrina Patridge have all shouted out Montag’s music on their own platforms.
    Kirsten Chuba, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Jan. 2025
  • Dig in: Duckworth purchased the recipe rights and is partnering with Chili Willi's former owner and chef, Ron Smith, to bring the restaurant to Charlotte.
    Laura Barrero, Axios, 15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • At twenty years old, Gauff is already a Grand Slam champion, and one of the richest and most famous female athletes in the United States.
    Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2025
  • That policy is so old that Chapman remembers it from his rookie year in the NYPD as a young patrolman in East Harlem in 1968.
    Graham Rayman, New York Daily News, 12 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Some are contracted by insurance companies and other times are hired directly by affluent homeowners.
    Andrea Chang, Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2025
  • This year’s Goodspeed Festival of New Works, Jan. 17-19, is happening primarily at Goodspeed Musical’s other theater space, the Terris Theatre in Chester.
    Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 12 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • But as the decades passed and shinier properties in even taller towers mushroomed around the city, the Dusit Thani lost its erstwhile luster and eventually morphed into a dependable — but dated — choice for (mostly) business travelers passing through town.
    Chris Schalkx, Travel + Leisure, 8 Jan. 2025
  • And while Vice President-elect J.D. Vance is in many respects a movement conservative himself, the populist Ohioan has worked with progressive Democrats on bipartisan legislation in the Senate, in contrast with former Vice President Mike Pence, Trump’s erstwhile sidekick from four years ago.
    W. James Antle III, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 4 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • To view the list of past winners,visit the Mega Millions website.
    Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2025
  • As such, one of the most crucial numbers for LaVine's past six games might be his shot volume, which sits at 20.6 attempts per night, which is the type of volume the Bulls need.
    Morten Stig Jensen, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • As if life weren’t challenging enough already, Evie is going to be navigating this amongst the eccentricity of her family home, living with her fiercely loving single mum Suz (Suranne Jones), sister Izzie (Liv Hill), and handsome boyfriend (sometime man of the house) Josh (Adam Long).
    Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Dec. 2024
  • Since the invasion of Iraq, the US has struggled to find a policy for Syria that could accommodate the vastly different needs of its allies Israel, Jordan, Turkey, and its sometime partners Iraq and Lebanon.
    Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 7 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Carter Verhaeghe’s lack of scoring as of late isn’t for lack of effort or lack of chances.
    Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 6 Jan. 2025
  • The episode opens with Dr. Jackie confronting Heavenly over her coarse comments about Contessa’s late mother—a moment that’s left tensions running high.
    Shelby Stewart, Essence, 6 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near once

Cite this Entry

“Once.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/once. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

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