dawned

verb

past tense of dawn
as in began
to come into existence a smile dawned on his face as he got the joke

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 dawned Then the second half dawned, and Harper joined the party as well. — Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 16 Oct. 2026 When the miracle year of 1967 dawned, Celtic resumed winning. — Michael Walker, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026 Soyka Soyka wanted to open a neighborhood hangout in his Morningside neighborhood as the new millennium dawned in 2000. — Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2026 When the age of book promotion scams dawned, an AI engine clearly had read the book but did not know that Orwell had died in 1950. — Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2026 But the golden age of cable that dawned in the late 1990s and streaming’s early-2010s rise multiplied the number of titles platforms were pumping out. — Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 2026 Sunday dawned fairly clear and bright for the World Cup 2026 final, with temperatures dropping from last week’s oppressive, humid 90s to the drier upper 70s and low 80s with wildfire smoke all but washed away. — Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 19 July 2026 As October dawned, Clinton held a lead but not an overwhelming one. — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 July 2026 The day dawned with rumors that the couple might have already said their vows ahead of the big event in New York. — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 3 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dawned
  1. began
  2. started
  3. arose
  4. commenced
  5. originated
  6. appeared
  7. was
  8. emerged
Verb
  • The latest push to end the practice began in June after an 18-year-old Indian tourist, Romanch Mahajan, died after jumping from a runaway carriage.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Trump’s push to rename geographic landmarks began on his first day back in office.
    — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of began
Verb
  • Then Patrick Mahomes started to look healthier, and Kenneth Walker III took off on what appears to be, through five games, an MVP-level campaign.
    — Scott Chasen, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Whereas Friday’s game was over by halftime, this game was just getting started.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of started
Verb
  • When the opportunity arose to become the head coach at Southern, Faulk didn’t hesitate even though he already had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s.
    — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Early warning signs arose in February 2023, when SpaceX President and COO Gwynne Shotwell confirmed reports that Musk’s company was taking steps to block Ukraine’s military from using Starlink with drones.
    — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of arose
Verb
  • Jeon gave birth just before filming commenced and felt concerned about what the movie would require of her.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The evening commenced with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres as literary and fashion insiders arrived at the private members club.
    — Brianna J. Heath, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of commenced
Verb
  • Another ongoing complaint against Citation originated about 10 miles east of the Bayou, where a rancher named Mike Faulkner noticed an unusual amount of salt water gurgling to the surface and flowing down a creek on his land in April.
    — Nick Bowlin, ProPublica, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Well, that rate would have originated around 4%, and now rates are up 525 basis points.
    — Diana Olick, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of originated
Verb
  • Anderson said the man appeared to have died of natural causes and that no foul play was suspected.
    — Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Nigeria's Health Minister Muhammad Pate said Friday that the woman's infection appeared closely related to Kenya's first case, while cautioning that this did not necessarily establish the transmission route.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of appeared
Verb
  • There was a single massive cheer from the home crowd in the fourth quarter, however.
    — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Unlike other modern culinary festivals, there was no peeking behind the curtain, because, in fact, there is no curtain.
    — Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of was
Verb
  • Until then, it was thought bats might’ve emerged somewhere in North America, among other theories.
    — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Kansas has emerged as an unlikely battleground in a turbulent midterm election year for Republicans, who are striving to hold onto slim majorities in both chambers of Congress.
    — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of emerged

Browse Nearby Words

dawn
dawned
dawned (on)
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Cite this Entry

“Dawned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dawned. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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