1
as in sunrise
the first appearance of light in the morning or the time of its appearance
we stayed up talking until dawn
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in beginning
the point at which something begins
the dawn of civilization
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to start
to come into existence
a smile dawned on his face as he got the joke
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dawn
William Harwood, CBS News, 8 Feb. 2026
Light switches, which have been self-explanatory since the dawn of electric lighting, apparently now come as an unlabeled multibutton panel that literally required a tutorial session from a technician.
—Jason Fried, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2026
Alison Herman, Variety, 21 Jan. 2026
Advertisement These moves reflect a dawning recognition that the old assumptions underpinning global business have been shattered.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dawn
Noun
Their Falcon 9 rocket was erected at the nearby Space Force Station early Saturday, and SpaceX test fired its first stage engines before dawn Sunday to set the stage for launch.
—William Harwood, CBS News, 8 Feb. 2026
Light switches, which have been self-explanatory since the dawn of electric lighting, apparently now come as an unlabeled multibutton panel that literally required a tutorial session from a technician.
—Jason Fried, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2026
Verb
Season 1 had an ideal structure in the trio of obstacles engineered by Alexandre, dovetailing with Camille and Issei’s dawning acceptance of each other as allies instead of enemies.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 21 Jan. 2026
Advertisement These moves reflect a dawning recognition that the old assumptions underpinning global business have been shattered.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dawn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dawn
Noun
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Before sunrise, dozens of people were in line outside the court building to secure a seat in the courtroom.—
Kanis Leung,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Castlereagh Reservoir is also nearby—kayaking at either sunset or sunrise is pretty special.—
Harriet Compston,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Intertextuality is described by Scarlett Barton in perhaps the opposite way, as linked to Roland Barthes’ observation that the author is dead, and that the text is the dissolution of every kind of voice, every beginning and core.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
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This approach may appeal to taxpayers who want more personalized guidance at the beginning of the tax relief process before deciding how to proceed.—
Roxanne Downer,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Carolyn Hax started her Washington Post advice column in 1997, after five years on the Style desk and none as a therapist.—
Carolyn Hax,
Washington Post,
20 Feb. 2026
-
And then the show started to really explode.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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From the origins of the Yakuza, the dawning of chemical warfare, and FDR’s spy shops, the novel treks across World War II to the dawn of the Cold War.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
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The dawning of light in this actor’s eyes breathes life into the old tale.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
1 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The convention had outgrown multiple venues from its inception, with attendance and vendors expanding each year.—
Anna Ortiz,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
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So far, Miller and her team have spent $192,000 since the program’s inception, which averages $3,900 per person.—
Devyani Chhetri,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Many are optimistic the recent leadership change will begin to bear fruit.—
Laure Guilbault,
Vogue,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The field, north of the mining town of Ballarat, had been used as a campsite during the Australian Gold Rush, which began in 1851 and continued for decades.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Kaley watched an average of four minutes and 9 seconds of videos recommended by YouTube’s autoplay feature per day, Li said.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
11 Feb. 2026
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Doyle says the lookout’s closure had cut business at Christina’s Cafe to three or four customers per day, killing her profit margin.—
Trista Kurniawan,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In Alzheimer’s disease, for example, people with more cognitive reserve often delay the onset of symptoms despite the presence of the amyloid and tau, two proteins that are the hallmark signs of the neurological disorder.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
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According to reports, O'Hara, 71, died within hours of the onset of symptoms, the document reads.—
Sara Moniuszko,
USA Today,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dawn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dawn. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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