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.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of once
Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 22 Mar. 2025
And to top it off, Knoblauch was once again left irritated by a mistake from a depth player that eventually led to a pivotal goal against.
—Daniel Nugent-Bowman, The Athletic, 14 Mar. 2025
Demetrius Patterson, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
As the once leader of the industry, its woes rippled backward through the supply chain and forward into the airline industry which desperately needed new aircraft to meet the rising demand for post-pandemic travel.
—Jerrold Lundquist, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for once
Adverb
Then, once the Vikings publicly re-committed to second-year pro J.J. McCarthy as their franchise QB, Rodgers, 41, popped up on a Friday visit to the Steelers’ facility to meet with coach Mike Tomlin and GM Omar Khan, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 22 Mar. 2025
And to top it off, Knoblauch was once again left irritated by a mistake from a depth player that eventually led to a pivotal goal against.
—Daniel Nugent-Bowman, The Athletic, 14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
For Silver, there can no peace until the new school, and the resurgence of Cobra Kai headed by his once friend and now nemesis Kreese, gets some payback.
—Demetrius Patterson, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
As the once leader of the industry, its woes rippled backward through the supply chain and forward into the airline industry which desperately needed new aircraft to meet the rising demand for post-pandemic travel.
—Jerrold Lundquist, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for once
Recent Examples of Synonyms for once
Adverb
-
The transfer portal was on full display today for the Bruins as forward Timea Gardiner (formerly Oregon State) contributed 15 points, all beyond the arc, and of course, Betts (formerly Stanford) had 17 points in the paint, shooting 50%, going 7-for-14, seven rebounds, and six blocks.—
Allison Smith,
Forbes.com,
31 Mar. 2025
-
The first Trump administration’s tariffs grounded formerly soaring productivity and output in the American manufacturing sector.—
David B. McGarry,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Torossian served as former Council President Paul Krekorian’s chief of staff before joining Councilmember Adrin Nazarian’s staff.—
Dakota Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Mar. 2025
-
Reinhart pulls off he achievement of playing convincingly both her adult self and nine-year old former self, forced to grow too fast.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
In the Pig universe, which has now been running for two decades, George remains two years old and Peppa two years older.—
Caroline Frost,
Deadline,
1 Mar. 2025
-
Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson were the only players to hit that mark at 28 years old.—
Bobby Krivitsky,
Forbes,
1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
These and many other student protests provide powerful strategies and lessons on resistance and how employees can advocate for workplace justice. 1.—
Janice Gassam Asare,
Forbes,
24 Mar. 2025
-
Two other fires were active in nearby Burke and Madison counties, with a third wildfire burning in Stokes County on the northern border with Virginia.—
ASSOCIATED PRESS,
TIME,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Immediately after the conclusion of the speech, the Senate moved to confirm erstwhile former Trump first-term Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker as ambassador to NATO.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
3 Apr. 2025
-
Peace in Ukraine and the Middle East is proving to be far harder to achieve than the real estate deals envisaged by the president, while the bludgeon of tariffs is raising ever more opposition among erstwhile allies.—
Daniel R. Depetris,
Newsweek,
25 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Plus, there’s many instances of past championship squads hitting a temporary roadblock – especially during the dog days of the schedule.—
Shane Young,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
-
Larson has posted a trio of Top Five finishes in his past three races there, and a starting spot in P14 gives him a good chance at his second trip to Victory Lane this weekend.—
Sam Navarro,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Led by Smith’s longtime bass player and keyboardist Tony Shanahan, the support crew included Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, former Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench, drummer and sometime Rolling Stone Steve Jordan, and guitarist Charlie Sexton.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
27 Mar. 2025
-
Vito Genovese, Frank’s sometime friend and longtime rival, is having a more eventful evening, overseeing the murder of his wife’s ex-husband.—
Justin Chang,
The New Yorker,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
In its latest earnings release, the company reported that its book of AI business has grown to over $5 billion, and its software division posted double-digit growth in 2024 — its strongest in years — mainly fueled by demand for AI and hybrid cloud solutions.—
Steve McDowell,
Forbes.com,
1 Apr. 2025
-
Starbucks introduced a new code of conduct, free refills and brought back condiment bars in late January after ditching the nondairy milk fee in November.—
Kelly Tyko,
Axios,
31 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Once.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/once. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share