ONSET Synonyms: 123 Similar and Opposite Words

onset

noun

ˈȯn-ˌset

Definition of onset

as in attack

the act or action of setting upon with force or violence the walls withstood the onset of the first battalion

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in beginning

the point at which something begins the claim that if you take enough vitamin C at the onset of a cold, you'll often recover faster

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 onset Not every person who carries the mutation will develop the disease, and the age of onset can vary, but family history is considered an important factor when estimating risk. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 25 June 2026 The three-year war erupted at the onset of the collapse of Yugoslavia, with Bosnia and Herzegovina becoming one of the first countries to declare its independence from the country in 1992. — Idaho Statesman, 2 July 2026 The abnormal heat has been driven by the onset of El Niño, a natural climate pattern characterized by unusually warm waters along the equatorial tropical Pacific Ocean. — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 1 July 2026 International oil standard Brent, meanwhile, is down 22% in June, on pace for its biggest monthly decline since March 2020, at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. — Zev Fima,kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 28 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for onset

Recent Examples of Synonyms for onset

Noun

The British Army also provided protection from attacks by Native American tribes, giving many settlers little reason to support a rebellion.

— Hank Tester, CBS News, 1 July 2026
Twice in recent days, the United States has launched retaliatory strikes on Iran following drone attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

— Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 30 June 2026

Definition of attack

Noun

Prior to the trial beginning, the judge agreed that questions about Brown’s felony conviction for his 2009 assault on then-girlfriend Rihanna would be barred from testimony.

— Chris Willman, Variety, 1 July 2026
June was a frenetic month for the metro Atlanta restaurant scene, driven in part by a flurry of downtown openings timed to the beginning of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

— Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 1 July 2026

Definition of beginning

Noun

Indeed, the administration’s assault on Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act intensifies the damage.

— Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
Williams had an extraditable warrant out of Suffolk County, New York, on multiple charges including burglary, strangulation and assault.

— Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026

Definition of assault

Noun

Acuff got off to a much better start after struggling to make shots in his summer league debut on Saturday.

— Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 7 July 2026
Belgium added to the lead early in the second half on a major error from goalie Matt Freese, who had given up just one goal in his first three starts.

— Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026

Definition of start

Noun

In Texas, ranchers are bracing for an onslaught of screwworms, the flesh-eating maggots of blowflies.

— Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
Torres lamented that the nation’s landmark semiquincentennial comes amid a fever pitch of anti-immigrant sentiment in the United States, marked by a rise in xenophobia and an onslaught of attempts to restrict newcomers here and abroad.

— Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 28 June 2026

Definition of onslaught

Noun

Some team executives and agents have considered the second apron, set at just under $222 million this coming season, as a de facto hard cap since its inception.

— Mike Vorkunov, New York Times, 4 July 2026
Since its inception, social media has been a proving ground for tween fashion and identity, offering under-16s a digital canvas to experiment with their style and form online cliques around niche interests.

— Sophie Lou Wilson, Vogue, 2 July 2026

Definition of inception

Noun

Those commencement boos came from a young generation that has watched AI reframe entry-level work as inefficiency, seen generative content flood the visual landscape, and built their own creative identities through friction and craft.

— Reid Litman, Fortune, 5 July 2026
There is a reason some students booed commencement speakers who mentioned AI this graduation season.

— Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026

Definition of commencement

Browse Nearby Words

onrushes

onset

onsets

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Style

“Onset.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/onset. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of onset

noun

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