How to Use once upon a time in a Sentence

once upon a time

idiom
  • 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
  • This was the world that 3D printing was supposed to bring forth once upon a time.
    — Adriana Lee, WWD, 13 Sep. 2024
  • But once upon a time, there were a hundred ways to get from A to B, or a thousand.
    — Rachel Kushner, Harper's Magazine, 2 Dec. 2024
  • There’s also a guest house on-site, which once upon a time was the original home in 1910.
    — Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 1 Feb. 2024
  • These were two men who once upon a time were firmly aligned in their outlook.
    — Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 18 July 2024
  • But once upon a time, states really did leave the Union, and fielded armies against it.
    — arkansasonline.com, 12 Feb. 2025
  • Anacapri: Smaller, and, once upon a time quieter Anacapri is reached by bus or taxi from Capri.
    — Elizabeth Heath, Travel + Leisure, 13 July 2024
  • The beloved toy store chain, which closed its last remaining stores in 2021, was once upon a time a mall staple.
    — Brittany Natale, Woman's Day, 20 June 2023
  • What’s funny is that once upon a time, hose were a symbol of freedom.
    — Laia Garcia-Furtado, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2023
  • The platform gave me everything once upon a time, so many years ago.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2024
  • But once upon a time, even that song 'Viva La Vida' was new and everyone in the room was like, 'What the f--- is this?
    — Rachel Desantis, People.com, 19 Dec. 2024
  • George Washington had been named once upon a time by the British Empire.
    — NBC News, 25 Dec. 2022
  • Will went on to say that, once upon a time, boxing was very popular.
    — Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 4 Jan. 2023
  • His father, tearing the team a set of new ones in the locker-room, once upon a time made one player stand in the corner like a child.
    — Bart Bull, SPIN, 10 Feb. 2023
  • Coming to Cleveland is Noah Syndergaard, who once upon a time was a phenom with the Mets.
    — Terry Pluto, cleveland, 27 July 2023
  • Foreign content was a niche business once upon a time, but not since Squid Game and Berlin Babylon.
    — Vulture, 2 May 2023
  • Because once upon a time, Gracie was a married 36-year-old mother who worked at a pet store.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 29 Nov. 2023
  • Yes, once upon a time—in 2014, to be exact—Ben Affleck was caught holding…Starbucks.
    — Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 7 Nov. 2023
  • Riseborough plays Leslie, who, once upon a time, was the toast of the town after winning a lottery jackpot.
    — Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 2 Feb. 2023
  • MySpace was the world-beating social network once upon a time.
    — PCMAG, 9 Feb. 2023
  • And speaking of hardware, Google was supposed to be building a first-party tracking tag once upon a time.
    — Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, 5 Apr. 2024
  • The streaming company has long been aware that its subscribers share passwords and once upon a time encouraged it.
    — Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY, 10 Aug. 2023
  • But what Mainers will absolutely agree on is that this area that once upon a time truly shut down for the winter months simply doesn't any more.
    — Todd Plummer, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Jan. 2024
  • But, once upon a time, Manfred made a similar promise to Oakland.
    — John Romano, Orlando Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2025
  • The eradication of child labor was something Americans could be proud of, once upon a time.
    — Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2023
  • The presence of liquid water once upon a time points to a balmy environment that could have been habitable.
    — Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Feb. 2024
  • Not only super dark given the August heat in NYC, but technically…once upon a time at least…navy blue with black was verboten.
    — Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 23 Aug. 2023
  • And how could anyone else be any more trustworthy than George, who, at least, once upon a time, was democratically elected to lead?
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 20 Feb. 2025
  • Overly Fussy Ruffles and Swags Ruffles, flounces, and swags had their moment once upon a time, but they’ve been replaced by cleaner, more tailored designs.
    — Sophie Flaxman, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Feb. 2025
  • But once upon a time, Hailey was a Jelena fan, some pointed out, and a longtime, passionate Belieber.
    — Alyssa Bailey, ELLE, 3 Mar. 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'once upon a time.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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