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Definitions

dawn

[dawn] / dɔn /
NOUN
beginning of day
Synonyms
STRONGEST
dawning daybreak daylight morning
STRONG
aurora cockcrow light morn sunrise sunup
WEAK
break of day bright crack of dawn day-peep early bright first blush first light wee hours
Antonyms
STRONGEST
darkness sunset
WEAK
conclusion dusk end ending evening eventide finish setting sundown
NOUN
a beginning
Synonyms
STRONGEST
advent birth dawning
STRONG
alpha commencement emergence foundation genesis head inception onset opening origin outset rise source start unfolding
WEAK
outstart
Antonyms
STRONGEST
end
STRONG
completion conclusion death effect ending finale finish result stop
WEAK
dusk evening eventide setting sundown sunset
VERB
start
Synonyms
STRONGEST
loom unfold
STRONG
appear begin develop emerge glimmer initiate lighten open originate rise
WEAK
show itself
Antonyms
STRONG
close conclude decrease disappear end finish hide lessen terminate
WEAK
set

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.

The vice-president spoke of the "core goal" of the US during his brief dawn news conference.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

Greenpeace activists scaled a monument in front of Congress at dawn on Wednesday and unfurled a banner urging lawmakers "not to betray the Argentine people."

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

They are most active during pup-leaving season between September and November and during dawn and dusk.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

I’ve already witnessed the dawn of high-speed internet, the iPhone and generative AI.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

The silence of frosty dawn fell around us.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

Vocabulary lists containing dawn

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