once 1 of 3

adverb

ˈwən(t)s How to pronounce once (audio)
Definition of oncenext
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

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

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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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 once
Adverb
After reassembling the housing, the pendulum swung freely, and the familiar chimes echoed through the house once more. — La'tasha Givens, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026 In a cafe in Mexico City once in the mid-Fifties, Pan spurred Rivera into a debate that Pan believed to have led Rivera to change the most controversial element in one of his most scandalous works. — David Hajdu, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026
Adjective
Joseph Duggar's arrest is the latest fall from grace for the once picture-perfect Duggar family. — Melina Khan, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026 The once summer home became a residential dwelling once more. — Nandika Chatterjee, Time, 5 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for once
Recent Examples of Synonyms for once
  1. formerly
  2. former
  3. old
  4. other
  5. erstwhile
  6. past
  7. sometime
  8. late
Adverb
  • Absentee investors act as hosts or hire property managers to handle bookings, packing as many as 14 people into formerly 2-bedroom units subdivided with unpermitted walls.
    — Linda Robertson Updated October 22, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Zuckerberg said that Threads, the newest addition to the Family of Apps, has now overtaken X (formerly Twitter) in monthly active users, while WhatsApp is seeing all-time highs for messages sent.
    — Zev Fima, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of formerly
Adjective
  • Kim Aris, the London son of former Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, said he was allowed a 20-minute phone call from the Nobel Peace Prize winner detained in her native country and who has not been seen publicly in five years.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Then last month, Kwan appointed former Rwandan Minister of State for Infrastructure Jean de Dieu Uwihanganye as RFO’s principal of emerging markets and business development to drive investment flows between Asia and Africa.
    — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of former
Adjective
  • An album-length EP by the 20-year-old producer is a dizzying and boundless collage of collages, using free-jazz logic and digital overload to chart new emotional terrain.
    — Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Rodrigo Valentim, a 51-year-old businessman and supporter of Bolsonaro, said another Lula government would harm the economy.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of old
Adjective
  • But Griffin’s focus on the Times story and other fallout has, acquaintances say, continued.
    — Ben Smith, semafor.com, 26 Oct. 2026
  • But many voters turned their backs on the party when Lula and other leaders became embroiled in corruption scandals in the 2010s.
    — Catherine Osborn, NPR, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of other
Adjective
  • Aditya Guru Dev and Samyukta Lakshmi—grandchildren of the erstwhile Maharaja of Mysore—acquired a bungalow with good bones and a slowly failing roof.
    — Nuriyah Johar, Architectural Digest, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Below’s detour to Little Pot Rock wraps up quickly with little explanation for the erstwhile hag’s seemingly flesh-and-blood existence on the island, but something spooky’s going on with her for sure.
    — Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of erstwhile
Adjective
  • Josh Giddey, the primary facilitator, coughed up five turnovers against six assists and struggled to progress the ball past midcourt.
    — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Briggs looked at 25 jobs hit hard by past technology, including photo processors, movie projectionists, proofreaders, file clerks, and bank tellers.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of past
Adjective
  • In the mid-1990s, Bob Bartel, a Chicago native and sometime private detective and full-time Beatles nut, heard Louise speak at a fan convention about George’s vacation in Benton.
    — Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The uncertain status of TPS has led to sometime conflicting actions by government agencies or employers.
    — Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of sometime
Adjective
  • Japanese flight controllers want to avoid powdery soil and rough terrain when the mothership, a four-legged stationary lander, descends to the surface to gather samples in late 2028 or 2029.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The core elements—airy melodies, drug talk, copious ad-libs—are old hat, but frank tales of suburban ennui and romantic strife give the Minneapolis rapper’s latest album a refreshingly personal air.
    — Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of late

Phrases Containing once

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onanistic
once
once in a blue moon
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Cite this Entry

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

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