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.
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Recent Examples of once
Conor McGill, CBS News, 6 June 2026
After several records of muted ideas, Death Cab for Cutie sound emboldened again while recalling the songwriting traits that once set them apart in a sea of indie-rock bands who’ve since petered out.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 6 June 2026
Nandika Chatterjee, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
The flights through the once Category 5 storm have been particularly hairy, with one of the NOAA aircraft having to return to its base for a safety inspection after exceeding its g-force limits from the turbulence.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for once
Adverb
Today, the once-small gas station has evolved into a restaurant that draws customers from throughout the region.
—Conor McGill, CBS News, 6 June 2026
After several records of muted ideas, Death Cab for Cutie sound emboldened again while recalling the songwriting traits that once set them apart in a sea of indie-rock bands who’ve since petered out.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 6 June 2026
Adjective
The once summer home became a residential dwelling once more.
—Nandika Chatterjee, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
The flights through the once Category 5 storm have been particularly hairy, with one of the NOAA aircraft having to return to its base for a safety inspection after exceeding its g-force limits from the turbulence.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for once
Recent Examples of Synonyms for once
Adverb
-
To stage the season-three premiere of the series formerly known as Interview With the Vampire — now, in character-appropriate fashion, hijacked and renamed The Vampire Lestat — AMC turned the screening into a tour stop for the character played by Sam Reid.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
3 June 2026
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The hospital — formerly Truman Medical Center — noted that its emergency department is the closest to Fan Fest, which will take place about a mile away on the lawn of the National WWI Museum and Memorial.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
3 June 2026
Adjective
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The new map moved predominantly Black neighbors into white majority districts and split Wasserman Schultz’s former district five ways, leading her to launch a campaign for the 20th District.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
3 June 2026
-
Republican Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host, and former health secretary Xavier Becerra, a Democrat who emerged late in the campaign as a front-runner, led a crowded field in the California governor’s race Wednesday morning.—
Praveena Somasundaram,
Washington Post,
3 June 2026
Adjective
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According to News 12, the 43-year-old reality star told VUE Magazine about his plans to enter the political sphere at their spring edition party on Thursday night.—
Lori A Bashian,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
-
They were jostled by men carrying heavy crates, cursed out by a man selling a pair of old boots, and viewed with suspicion by seemingly everyone else.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
In War and Peace, Tolstoy’s concept—among a million other things—was to show how the young people who lived through the Napoleonic invasion went on to lead Russia’s first democratic uprising, the Decembrist Revolt of 1825.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
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It can be booked for private sessions, but if full, the spa menu offers plenty of other indulgences.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers and John Oliver are reuniting for a special video episode of their erstwhile podcast Strike Force Five, the quintet of late-night hosts announced during their joint appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
11 May 2026
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Then, in 2017, Tesla mainstreamed the Model S with the more affordable Model 3, surpassing the erstwhile eco-warrior favorite Prius.—
Brooke Crothers,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
Adjective
-
Royal and Presidential Suites have separate living rooms, more palatial decor, and past guest lists that read like a United Nations roll call.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
The most recent strikes came this past weekend.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
If necessary, Game 3 would be sometime Monday.—
Tyler Estep,
AJC.com,
3 June 2026
-
That’s according to a new report from SAE International’s (and sometime Ars contributor) Roberto Baldwin.—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
As Augie Lopez trotted around the bases late Monday night, the small contingent of USC fans could finally be heard at Blue Bell Park.—
Jose de Jesus Ortiz,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2026
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The charge was dismissed in late October, and Bushart subsequently filed a lawsuit against Perry County, Sheriff Nick Weems and the investigator who secured the arrest warrant.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Once.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/once. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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