occasions 1 of 2

noun

plural of occasion
1
as in times
a particular point at which an event takes place on that occasion, I didn't actually meet your father

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in opportunities
a favorable combination of circumstances, time, and place the substitute violinist rose to the occasion and performed the piece beautifully

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3
as in causes
someone or something responsible for a result the missing money proved to be the occasion of much strife between the two brothers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in events
something that happens weddings are generally happy occasions

Synonyms & Similar Words

occasions

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of occasion
as in prompts
to be the cause of (a situation, action, or state of mind) the announcement concerning the change in scheduling occasioned much confusion

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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 occasions
Noun
Jihadi militants had on two occasions this year attacked the airport, a strategic hub that hosts a Nigerien air force base as well as the headquarters of the joint Niger-Burkina Faso-Mali military force. — ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026 While my own beauty bag options are much more varied, and my heavy-makeup phase as an alternative teenager may be behind me, there are still occasions that call for formulas capable of going the distance—say, the Met Gala. — Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 28 Aug. 2026 Fazio hammered that note on a few occasions, characterizing Lamont’s tenure as one in which education is worse than when the governor started. — Theo Peck-Suzuki, Hartford Courant, 28 Aug. 2026 So StudioCanal has decided to mark both occasions with a special theatrical rerelease of the film this weekend. — ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026 As his father aged and his health began to fail in recent years, the prince stepped in as the country’s regent on several occasions. — Jan M. Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026 Take Alphabet, which has issued debt on multiple occasions and in multiple currencies. — Paulina Likos, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026 Interim manager Andy Green has mentioned it on a few occasions, as have members of the team. — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 28 Aug. 2026 The method helps drinkers moderate consumption while still enjoying social occasions that typically revolve around alcohol. — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 24 Aug. 2026
Verb
Admissions dipped around mid-March and again in early June, when the market reached its lowest point of the year, but both occasions the downturn lasted only briefly before business rebounded. — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 10 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for occasions
  1. times
  2. opportunities
  3. causes
  4. events
  5. prompts
  6. moments
  7. chances
  8. reasons
Noun
  • Winter Springs was whistled for 14 penalties for 135 yards, and Hagerty was flagged 12 times for 125 yards.
    — Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The Cubs and Brewers square off seven times in that span, with Monday’s victory putting the North Siders 7 games back of first-place Milwaukee.
    — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of times
Noun
  • Institutional investors still seem to see growth opportunities, even if some sovereign wealth funds show signs of potential pullbacks.
    — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Analysts at the bank said the company's slow delivery of agentic AI to customers is limiting monetization opportunities for SAP, and may lead some customers to seek other routes to adopt the technology in the near-term.
    — Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of opportunities
Noun
  • The causes of this go back decades, and AI is just the latest iteration of it.
    — Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2026
  • If that wasn’t enough, there may be other contributing factors, such as medical conditions and environmental causes.
    — Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of causes
Noun
  • With household budgets under pressure, consumers are searching harder for value — shopping earlier, comparing prices across retailers and spreading purchases across multiple promotional events.
    — Jill Standish, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Signs quickly piled up at his roadside memorial blaming Bustillos for the chain of events and telling other drivers to slow down.
    — Jacob Sisneros, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of events
Verb
  • Which then prompts the question of what type of discipline York could face, to which there is no one-to-one comparison.
    — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Actor Clay Singer explained that premise prompts many questions.
    — David Wade, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of prompts
Noun
  • There’s also been lots of moments to dress up for too, with megawatt tours from Harry Styles, Ariana Grande, and Zara Larsson; maximalist pop stars with fans eager to follow their lead in sequins and ties, hibiscus flowers in hair.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 31 Aug. 2026
  • In its bleakest moments, the novel suggests that the ordeal of being gay in a venomously bigoted society negates its bounty.
    — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of moments
Noun
  • The Astros, meanwhile, made the most of some of their chances.
    — LaMond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
  • To improve chances of a timely reply, patients should start messages by greeting their doctor by name, ideally including both first and last names.
    — Paul Hsieh, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of chances
Noun
  • This increase happens for two reasons — both tied to the fact that El Niño is characterized by warmer than average ocean temperatures in the equatorial tropical Pacific Ocean.
    — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Less than a week after our Zoom conversation with Knapp, an unrelated Good Good collab went viral for all of the wrong reasons.
    — Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of reasons

Browse Nearby Words

occasioning
occasions
occiput
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Cite this Entry

“Occasions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/occasions. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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