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
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Recent Examples of once
Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Apr. 2025
And, as the FTC has just warned once again, any unpaid toll bill text is almost certainly a scam.
—Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 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
But once again, Wyatt was saved, this time by Ballerini.
—Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Apr. 2025
And, as the FTC has just warned once again, any unpaid toll bill text is almost certainly a scam.
—Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 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
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Back in 2018, when Versace was bought by Capri (formerly Michael Kors) from the Versace family and Blackstone, Capri splashed out $2.2 billion including debt.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
10 Apr. 2025
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The situation stems from the Indian Trail Weasel Report account, formerly the campaign Facebook page for Council member Todd Barber.—
Mary Ramsey,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Imagine if a future Republican administration wanted to ban from employment all of the staffers and others who were pardoned, some questionably but all legally, by former President Joe Biden.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2025
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The building, a century-old former canning and bottling plant, was donated in 2017 to two nonprofits — Affordable Recovery Housing and Residence for Patriots Services — according to a trustee’s deed documenting the transfer.—
Samantha Moilanen,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Morales' older brother, Ricardo, confirmed his death in a post on X, formerly Twitter.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Apr. 2025
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In contrast, older generations started saving much later, with boomers beginning at an average age of 37 and with plans to retire at 72.—
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The president and his administration accuse Harvard, among other universities, of allowing antisemitism to flourish on campus, endangering Jewish students.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
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The trip to Brentford is little more than a lower mid-table meeting, but United’s other three engagements could have more riding on them.—
Mark Critchley,
New York Times,
19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Earlier this year, there was a small bit of consternation in the Death Grips fan community due to an apparent private comment from erstwhile band member Andy Morin that was leaked publicly.—
Matthew Strauss,
Pitchfork,
8 Apr. 2025
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Bloomberg/Via Getty Images President Trump's announcements on tariffs have dismayed many of his erstwhile supporters on Wall Street.—
Steve Inskeep,
NPR,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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From a mental health perspective, this might look like working with a therapist to address that past trauma, identifying what triggers you and finding healthy ways to cope.—
Rahkim Sabree, Contributor,
CNBC,
17 Apr. 2025
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The researchers analyzed past studies to determine the impact of technology on mental aging.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
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But the prolific writer-director’s latest provides an illustration of how the genre became somewhat fossilized via formulaic writing and overexposure even before 1950s television began churning out Western content in bulk.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
11 Apr. 2025
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One giant got distracted by a wandering minstrel One giant overslept and started late Clues: Brumm is not the fastest builder but didn’t oversleep.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
10 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Once.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/once. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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