once upon a time
idiom
: at some time in the past
He was a famous actor once upon a time.
Note: Once upon a time is the traditional way to begin a fairy tale.
Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess named Snow White.
Examples of once upon a time in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Even one of the biggest pop stars in the world was once upon a time just a theater kid.
—
Brian Welk, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2025
Maybe once upon a time, that would’ve been possible.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2025
Just as once upon a time books were brought
From Constantinople to the northern lands,
The voices of wise men in the wild lands
Will become a source of creative power.
—Czeslaw Milosz, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2025
Get the Recipe 16 of 25 Best-Ever Macaroni and Cheese
While now the mac and cheese queen is likely one auntie or another, once upon a time, this was Grandma's specialty.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 1 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for once upon a time 
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.
Brian Welk, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2025
Maybe once upon a time, that would’ve been possible.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2025
Just as once upon a time books were brought
From Constantinople to the northern lands,
The voices of wise men in the wild lands
Will become a source of creative power.
—Czeslaw Milosz, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2025
Get the Recipe 16 of 25 Best-Ever Macaroni and Cheese
While now the mac and cheese queen is likely one auntie or another, once upon a time, this was Grandma's specialty.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 1 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for once upon a time
Dictionary Entries Near once upon a time
Cite this Entry
“Once upon a time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/once%20upon%20a%20time. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share