1
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
2
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
But by 2016, stickers replaced handwriting as mobile ordering grew more popular, and the practice completely disappeared in 2020 with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
—
Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2025
Their proportion of global leader travel fell from around 15% in 1990-1994 to about 10% since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
—Collin J. Meisel, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2025
What’s really happening, of course, is a sudden onset of Tourette’s, presumably exacerbated by mounting stress both at home and at school.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 7 Sep. 2025
Genetic tests revealed the cause, early-onset FSHD, which only affects 5-10% of those with the disease.
—Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for onset
Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2025
Their proportion of global leader travel fell from around 15% in 1990-1994 to about 10% since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
—Collin J. Meisel, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2025
What’s really happening, of course, is a sudden onset of Tourette’s, presumably exacerbated by mounting stress both at home and at school.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 7 Sep. 2025
Genetic tests revealed the cause, early-onset FSHD, which only affects 5-10% of those with the disease.
—Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for onset
Recent Examples of Synonyms for onset
Noun
-
Bin Laden, through the al-Qaida terrorist organization, targeted the United States for nearly a decade before the 9/11 attacks in 2001, utilizing this large and expansive infrastructure.—
Richard Frankel,
ABC News,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Polish officials said 19 objects entered its airspace during a large Russian air attack on Ukraine.—
George Petras,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The beginning of the evening was marked by an intimate performance on behalf of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.—
Robyn Mowatt,
Essence,
12 Sep. 2025
-
And targeting, torturing, and murdering political opponents, rivals, and critics have marked the conflict since its beginning.—
Sean Durns,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
For more than three years, Ukrainian soldiers, conscripts and ordinary civilians have given their lives to defend their country’s borders, and Vasyanovych is speaking to Variety just days before the latest onslaught of Russian missiles on Kyiv.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
-
The component responsible for this, the divertor, must withstand this incredible onslaught, making its design a critical engineering challenge for the viability of fusion power.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Of course, the 0-1 start is not ideal.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Bergert had previously allowed three runs or fewer in each of his 13 major-league starts.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
In California’s strawberry fields, an ICE raid sparked widespread panic and disruption among farmworker communities.—
David Rodriguez Muñoz,
Freep.com,
7 Sep. 2025
-
South Korean workers detained during a massive immigration raid in Georgia Thursday will be returned to South Korea on a chartered flight following negotiations, an official announced Sunday.—
Hanna Park,
CNN Money,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The University of Southern California said security concerns prompted it to cancel the commencement speech of its 2024 valedictorian, who was an outspoken advocate for Palestinians, according to The Associated Press.—
BrieAnna J. Frank,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Bastian often mentions this experience in commencement speeches to encourage graduates that their futures are unlimited.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Investigators later confirmed his DNA matched evidence from that case and others, including attacks in Okemos, Michigan, in 1994; Birmingham, Michigan, in 1995; and Columbus, Ohio, in 1997, as well as two assaults in Ventura in the early 1980s.—
Nour Rahal,
Freep.com,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Though Smith was charged with four counts of assault for scaring and endangering the villagers, troopers did not say he was involved in his mother’s death.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Since Nomad’s inception, Bellavance-Lecompte and his cofounder Giorgio Pace, an avant-garde curator, have seen the fair resonate in the fashion world, while drawing chief executive officers from the sector’s biggest conglomerates.—
Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The Rare Impact Fund — which was previously held in 2023 and 2024 — has raised more than $20 million and supported 30 nonprofit partners across five continents since its 2020 inception.—
Katie Atkinson,
Billboard,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Onset.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/onset. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share