1
as in space
an indefinite but usually short period of time
we stayed at the fair for a while longer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in effort
the active use of energy in producing a result
it's not worth my while to fix it, so we'll get a new one
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in when
at or during the time that
pay attention while I'm explaining how the new phone system works
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of while
New Atlas, 14 Dec. 2024
This production has more than enough A-list talent, even if a few have not done their best work for a while.
—Matt Slater, The Athletic, 14 Dec. 2024
The Macabre had been in my head for a while but started out very differently: What if a person bought a house, there was a cursed painting inside, and they were brought into a team of agents who cleansed these paintings to help hunt them?
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 12 Dec. 2024
The square on the cover feels symbolic to me, somehow—as though Vernon boxed up his despair, and is perhaps ready to place it aside for a while.
—Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for while 
Noun
The company has been producing rather odd yet nifty motorcycles for a while now, with most using the same 7-horsepower Kohler engine.
—New Atlas, 14 Dec. 2024
This production has more than enough A-list talent, even if a few have not done their best work for a while.
—Matt Slater, The Athletic, 14 Dec. 2024
The Macabre had been in my head for a while but started out very differently: What if a person bought a house, there was a cursed painting inside, and they were brought into a team of agents who cleansed these paintings to help hunt them?
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 12 Dec. 2024
The square on the cover feels symbolic to me, somehow—as though Vernon boxed up his despair, and is perhaps ready to place it aside for a while.
—Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for while
Recent Examples of Synonyms for while
Noun
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That the Astros are shopping setup man Ryan Pressly already suggests the club is searching for ways to create payroll space.Chandler Rome, The Athletic, 10 Dec. 2024
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The altar houses relics of five saints tied to Paris, including St. Catherine Labouré and St. Charles de Foucauld, continuing a centuries-old tradition of embedding sacred artifacts at the heart of worship spaces.THOMAS ADAMSON AND SYLVIE CORBET THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, arkansasonline.com, 9 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The main opposition Democratic Party, which vowed to introduce impeachment bills against the president every week after the first effort failed due to the ruling party's boycott, filed a second motion on Thursday.Se Eun Gong, NPR, 12 Dec. 2024
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The audacious effort to woo Moore is revealing of its plans for the role and its importance in the Mouse House’s ecosystem.Jake Kanter, Deadline, 12 Dec. 2024
Noun
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As on Android, the bulk of the app data is deleted to free up space, with key bits of information kept on your phone.David Nield, WIRED, 14 Dec. 2024
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This understandable bit of gamesmanship has unintended consequences.Nate Jones, Vulture, 14 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The division, which enforces voting rights laws, investigates police departments and brings charges for violations of people’s civil rights, is spending the final days of the Biden administration finishing as much work as possible on cases involving patterns or practices of police misconduct.Devlin Barrett, New York Times, 10 Dec. 2024
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The team says that future work should focus on improving the technique and potentially extending it beyond CAR T cell therapy.Michael Irving, New Atlas, 9 Dec. 2024
Conjunction
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But scientists and doctors say things aren’t that simple — and a belief that exposing children to marijuana, either directly or indirectly, is harmless isn’t supported by the facts.Daniel M. Jimenez, The Cannifornian, 22 June 2017
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But with a full and volatile season behind them, the two have grown closer, prompting check-ins from Bradford last month, seeking tidbits from his coach who watched OTA practices on a tablet from his Kentucky retreat.Chad Graff, Twin Cities, 15 June 2017
Thesaurus Entries Near while
Cite this Entry
“While.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/while. Accessed 19 Dec. 2024.
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