was

verb

Definition of wasnext
past tense of be
1
as in lived
to have life stories that begin with the familiar line "once upon a time there was a beautiful maiden"

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stood
to occupy a place or location we'll be there waiting for you

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in ranked
to take or have a certain position within a group arranged in vertical classes our school's football team is first in its division

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in happened
to take place the party is next Saturday

Synonyms & Similar Words

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for was
  1. happened
  2. existed
  3. sat
  4. placed
  5. came
  6. ruled
  7. occurred
Verb
  • While there is no way to know if that account is historically accurate, what happened after their deaths is easier to confirm.
    Lucas Aulbach, The Courier-Journal, 24 Dec. 2024
  • The last time that happened was when Ryan Johansen returned to Columbus after being traded to the Nashville Predators midway through the 2015-16 season.
    Aaron Portzline, The Athletic, 24 Dec. 2024
Definition of happened
Verb
  • Some could be seen praying, giving the holy structure one last offering before its days as one of Indianapolis' oldest Lutheran churches no longer existed.
    Noe Padilla, The Indianapolis Star, 24 Dec. 2024
  • Currently, the deadline for companies which existed before January 1, 2024, to report is January 1, 2025.
    Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
Definition of existed
Verb
  • Levi Jones, a 33-year-old business owner, pulled up to Sacred Eye Tattoos in Hollywood last week and sat for eight hours getting a photorealistic black-and-white portrait of Mangione on his leg.
    Amanda Rosa, Orlando Sentinel, 24 Dec. 2024
  • The birthday boy and his big sister Sterling Skye, 3, each sat between one of their parents’ laps.
    Angel Saunders, People.com, 24 Dec. 2024
Definition of sat
Verb
  • People who placed a $0 on the field for the Recovery Rebate Credit on their 2021 tax forms or left the section blank are eligible for the credit.
    Jalen Williams, Detroit Free Press, 24 Dec. 2024
  • Earlier this month, Biden also commuted the sentences of 1,500 people who had been placed on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic and also pardoning 39 others convicted of nonviolent crimes.
    Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 24 Dec. 2024
Definition of placed
Verb
  • Next came the blue balloons, then the red.
    Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 24 Dec. 2024
  • With unity came a sense of comfort.
    Natalie Eilbert, Journal Sentinel, 24 Dec. 2024
Definition of came
Verb
  • While the Supreme Court ruled in a very broad decision last term that the President has absolute immunity for official actions, that ruling does not apply to his subordinates throughout the executive branch.
    Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
  • Missouri judge Mark Styles ruled that UMB Bank did not violate its duty to the famous regionalist painter, who left his holdings in their care prior to his death in 1975.
    Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 23 Dec. 2024
Definition of ruled
Verb
  • No further details have been shared regarding identification of the body or speculation as to what occurred, as the investigation is ongoing.
    Shyla Watson, People.com, 24 Dec. 2024
  • Anyone who suspects fraud has occurred or been attempted, can report it to authorities so those who commit fraud can be identified.
    Staff report, Hartford Courant, 24 Dec. 2024
Definition of occurred
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near was

wary

was

was friends with

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Was.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/was. Accessed 27 Dec. 2024.

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More from Merriam-Webster on was

Nglish: Translation of was for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of was for Arabic Speakers

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