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
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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
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Recent Examples of onset
At the onset, $50 million in seed money was allocated statewide, but the law stated an additional unspecified amount would be needed in the future.
—
Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2025
Former Grey’s Anatomy star Patrick Dempsey is returning to broadcast TV as the lead in Memory of a Killer, Fox’s straight-to-series thriller about a hitman who develops early onset Alzheimer’s.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 12 May 2025
Melatonin supplementation has been shown to improve sleep onset and quality.
—Sarah Jividen, Verywell Health, 9 May 2025
But Corrado can do little to slow the onset of Giuliana’s psychic collapse.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for onset
Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2025
Former Grey’s Anatomy star Patrick Dempsey is returning to broadcast TV as the lead in Memory of a Killer, Fox’s straight-to-series thriller about a hitman who develops early onset Alzheimer’s.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 12 May 2025
Melatonin supplementation has been shown to improve sleep onset and quality.
—Sarah Jividen, Verywell Health, 9 May 2025
But Corrado can do little to slow the onset of Giuliana’s psychic collapse.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for onset
Recent Examples of Synonyms for onset
Noun
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But after the World Trade Center attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, the movie was retooled with a new finale before being released in theaters on June 21, 2002.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
25 May 2025
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The Pacers, behind an unrelenting uptempo attack and superior depth, have won the third and fourth quarters in both games, as well as overtime in Game 1.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
24 May 2025
Noun
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But at the beginning of Jonathan Tropper’s Your Friends and Neighbors, he’s fired from his job and divorced from his wife.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
30 May 2025
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At the beginning of the 2022—2023 school year, Luis Hinojosa was appointed as the principal of Pitcher Elementary School, according to court documents.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
30 May 2025
Noun
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Warm ocean water in these areas can cause storms to rapidly intensify right before landfall, giving communities less time to prepare for the onslaught.—
Andrea Thompson,
Scientific American,
30 May 2025
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The chaos the president’s tariff onslaught caused in the U.S. Treasury market quickly spread to Japan, boosting yields.—
William Pesek,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
Noun
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The Panthers got off to an inauspicious start, quickly finding themselves down 2-0 after the first period.—
Jacob Lev,
CNN Money,
29 May 2025
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But then again, only one of his 11 starts thus far has been a quality outing.—
Dennis Lin,
New York Times,
29 May 2025
Noun
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When Pride Month began The monthlong global celebration began with Gay Pride Week in late June 1970, a year after the violent police raid at New York’s Stonewall Inn, a gay bar.—
Geoff Mulvihill,
Chicago Tribune,
1 June 2025
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Earlier in the year, CBP agents conducted a three-day raid in rural parts of Kern County targeting day laborers and Latino farmworkers.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2025
Noun
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Trump's speech politicizes military commencement The anecdote came during the commencement address, in which Trump touted his administration's isolationist stances and the ending of diversity, equity and inclusion programs.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
26 May 2025
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At least 12 people were injured after a tree fell on bystanders during a commencement ceremony at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, California, on Friday.—
Nadine El-Bawab,
ABC News,
24 May 2025
Noun
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Beijing has also softened its regulatory assault on Chinese technology companies and the property sector.—
Jacky Wong,
WSJ,
6 Feb. 2023
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Zelenskyy has warned for weeks that Moscow aims to step up its assault after about two months of virtual stalemate along the front line that stretches across the south and east.—
Reuters,
NBC News,
31 Jan. 2023
Noun
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And since its inception, the CDF has made significant investments in cinema through a portfolio of $234 million.—
Partner Content,
Variety,
19 May 2025
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Since its inception, NASA has selected 61 women as astronaut candidates, many of them making groundbreaking contributions to space science and exploration.—
Betsy Pudliner,
The Conversation,
19 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Onset.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/onset. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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