as in dawn
the first appearance of light in the morning or the time of its appearance
the cold, gray dawning of a wintry day
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in beginning
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 dawning
Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
The dawning of light in this actor’s eyes breathes life into the old tale.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
On social media, some people even suggested this was the dawning of a new populist coalition of left and right.
—Chicago Tribune, Twin Cities, 30 Nov. 2025
As the sun rises behind the ELT, the image stands for the dawning of a new era in astronomical discovery.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 17 Sep. 2025
This is the dawning of the age of school choice.
—Stephen Moore, Boston Herald, 14 Aug. 2025
If the excitement of Lionel Messi’s 2023 debut in MLS felt like the dawning of a new era, Son’s welcome was a reminder that the league still has plenty of room to grow — even two years after the greatest player of all time landed on its shores.
—Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 10 Aug. 2025
That rite-of-passage dawning hits harder than usual in light of the tragedy awaiting the family.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 10 Aug. 2025
Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 29 Nov. 2025
As a woman whose dawning realization infests and wrenches apart her family, Collette turns in one of the most towering horror performances in memory.
—Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
In June, 1952, Ebony announced that a new era was dawning.
—Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
The hair that would otherwise sprout from his postpubescent body has been replaced by the residues of fire—that Promethean symbol of dawning human specialness.
—Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025
The series begins before Gein has ever killed, in 1945, as dawning awareness of death camps in Europe fills the air with sadism and conspiracy thinking.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 30 Sep. 2025
Jolie nonetheless manages to bring some palpable life to the role, complicating her otherworldly magnetism with a dawning dread and sorrow.
—Richard Lawson, IndieWire, 7 Sep. 2025
The Tennessee Titans had one of the worst rosters in football last season and went just 3-14 as a result, but with Cam Ward now under center, a new era is dawning in Music City.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Aug. 2025
Noun
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.
—Verb
Other countries around the world are taking notes as Australia explores new territory that some say mirrors safety evolutions of years past – the dawning realization that maybe cars need safety belts, and that perhaps cigarettes should come with some kind of health warning.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for dawning
Noun
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So instead, to keep costs down and power up, the Starcloud satellite flies what is known as a dawn-dusk sun-synchronous orbit, circling the planet at a near vertical 83° angle that carries it over the poles and keeps it almost constantly exposed to the sun.—
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There have been false dawns of protest before, but Iran’s regime is vulnerable.—
Verb
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Paramount+ Essential subscribers will be able to stream the show beginning Monday.—
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After beginning as an unpaid intern with the Cleveland Cavaliers and landing a position as an assistant with Cleveland’s G League affiliate in Canton, Ohio, Skeeter’s career path also took him through Atlanta just like Lee.—
Noun
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As the wildfire raged, residents were rushed out before sunrise.—
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For them, being able to witness the sunrise at Christ the Redeemer and experience Brazilian culture firsthand made the celebration unforgettable.—
Verb
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So commences a night of harrowing encounters and trauma both physical and mental, starting with Ron and Mike’s trip to meet Oliver at a bar after one of his shows.—
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Place water and rum in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave on HIGH until starting to bubble, about 1 minute.—
Noun
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The fan fest’s exact days of operation will be determined and announced later.—
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His days often begin before sunrise and include multiple training sessions, focusing on conditioning, endurance and strength.—
Verb
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But that changed in 2022 in a decision arising from another case involving a juvenile offender from San Diego.—
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The court challenges kept that situation from ever arising.—
Noun
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On the morn of Liberation Day, Trump called out four other Republican senators — Rand Paul, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Mitch McConnell — for pushing back on his plan.—
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The light green safari shade is especially fun, or go for an aquatic vibe with the icy morn/sea wave two-combo.—
Verb
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None of the arrests of the four individual plaintiffs in this case, on the other hand, were made in immediate anticipation of commencing removal proceedings, much less executing a final order of removal.—
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Rollins humorously acknowledged his need to change his current diet before commencing the intensive physical preparations for his comeback.—
Cite this Entry
“Dawning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dawning. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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