Definitions

was

[wuhz, woz, wuhz] / wʌz, wɒz, wəz /

VERB

exist

Synonyms

STRONG

abide act breathe continue do endure hold inhabit last live move obtain persist prevail remain rest stand stay subsist survive

WEAK

be alive go on have being have place

Antonyms

STRONG

cease depart die discontinue forsake give up go halt idle leave lose pass quit refuse reject stop

VERB

happen

Synonyms

STRONG

befall occur transpire

WEAK

come about come to pass take place

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Lemonides said Intel was likely to make significant improvements in yields from its newer manufacturing facilities.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 22, 2026

Samuel Johnson complained, more than 250 years ago, that William Shakespeare’s style was “ungrammatical, perplexed, and obscure.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

Total revenue for the first quarter grew 14% from a year ago to $22.22 billion, which was above the average analyst estimate compiled by FactSet of $21.3 billion.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 22, 2026

The move came after Ukraine said it had fixed a damaged oil pipeline that was at the center of a monthslong standoff with Hungary’s departing prime minister, Viktor Orbán.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

I frowned at the tabletop, which was etched with initials.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith