1
as in once
at an earlier or previous time the newspaper formerly known as "The Newsprint"

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2

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 formerly Some of the manuscripts in the study were found to be 50 to 100 years older than formerly thought, Popović said. Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 7 June 2025 Elon has made the platform formerly known as Twitter into an echo chamber for Trump-adjacent voices. Carlo Versano, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025 The next day, 23-year-old Wayne Lucas was taken into custody in Virginia in connection with the attack, New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said in a May 28 post on X, formerly known as Twitter. Natalie Demaree, Miami Herald, 29 May 2025 What To Know Damien Symon, an open-source intelligence expert, posted a satellite image on X (formerly Twitter) showing the Liaoning underway in the Philippine Sea, approximately 430 nautical miles (494 miles) southeast of Taiwan, accompanied by two escorting ships on Wednesday. Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for formerly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for formerly
Adverb
  • Jones allegedly aimed the rifle at Goins and shot once, missing him, witnesses told police.
    Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 June 2025
  • The issue may be one of perception: Modern small businesses extend far beyond the local grocery stores or mom-and-pop pharmacies that were once unlikely to expand beyond regional markets.
    Visa Contributor, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
Adverb
  • Look, it’s already started, with criticism of his performance for the national team against Portugal on Wednesday.
    Philipp Lahm, New York Times, 6 June 2025
  • Scientists already struggle to get their research funded.
    Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
Adverb
  • The report said nearly a third of Britain’s 2.4M creative employees experience workplace conflict, resulting in people leaving jobs early or being out of work.
    Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 10 June 2025
  • This taught me early that real leadership means becoming an example.
    Sandra Balogun, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Formerly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/formerly. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.

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