ONSET Synonyms: 123 Similar and Opposite Words

onset

noun

ˈȯn-ˌset

Definition of onset

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

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 And while early-onset Alzheimer’s is rare, that doesn’t mean women should ignore changes that genuinely concern them. — Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 19 Aug. 2026 Chronic absenteeism – referring to students who miss 10% or more days of the school year – has become one of the most urgent problems across American schools since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. — Jerome A. Graham, The Conversation, 19 Aug. 2026 The track blew up on social media during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and became Eslabón Armado’s first entry on the Billboard charts. — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026 More than a decade after the onset of the strange saga surrounding Wu-Tang Clan’s one-of-a-kind album Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, the story is getting the documentary treatment. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for onset

Recent Examples of Synonyms for onset

Noun

Detectives charged him with murder, manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon for the vicious attack that killed his mother, 57-year-old Josefa Soto de Guzman, on Friday.

— Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 26 Aug. 2026
Just like Ejva, who suddenly needs to learn how to protect the herd and make her family proud, even when a violent attack leaves her struggling.

— Marta Balaga, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of attack

Noun

He has been charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, inflicting serious injury, the department said.

— Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 27 Aug. 2026
Castro is charged in Minnesota with assault and falsely reporting a crime in the January 14 shooting of 24-year-old Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of assault

Noun

To stay in the chase, the Twins desperately need collective performances such as Sunday’s when Zebby Matthews provided a dominant start and the lineup pieced together enough offense to avoid a sweep at the hands of Chicago.

— Dan Hayes, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
In 2024, when Malik Nabers’ first-round selection changed the depth chart, Slayton memorably caught only 10 total passes for 122 yards in the Giants’ first four games during a 1-3 start.

— Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of start

Noun

The elimination of those limits could fuel a bigger onslaught of election ads if broadcasters are forced to offer their lowest ad rates to parties and committees.

— Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026
Life was an onslaught of bright lights, loud noises, intolerable textures and tastes.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of onslaught

Noun

After each meeting, a colleague would ask if there had been any progress citing the days, months and finally years since the committee’s inception.

— Barry M. Bloom, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
The Milford Public Library serves both village and township residents and maintains special collections on autism, genealogy and the Civil War, as well as microfilmed editions of the Milford Times dating to the newspaper’s inception.

— Brendel Clark, Freep.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of inception

Noun

Last month, burglars stole millions of dollars worth of jewelry from the museum of French luxury glassmaker Lalique in a daring early morning raid.

— CBS News, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
According to witnesses of the raid, local police and Canyon County sheriff’s deputies assisted ICE agents by zip-tying children and detaining people without asking about their immigration status.

— Rachel Spacek, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of raid

Noun

With the acclaim came the awards, the invitations to give commencement speeches, the honorary degrees, the chance to perform before thousands of fans at big-time sports events.

— Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 25 Aug. 2026
In a 1991 commencement speech at Georgia Tech, Brian Dyson told students to imagine life as a game of juggling five balls — work, family, health, friends and spirit.

— Amy Wenk, AJC.com, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of commencement

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onrushes

onset

onsets

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

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Synonyms of onset

noun

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