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.

Every time voters go to the polls anywhere in the world, we see academics, journalists and pundits asking the same thing: Was this the AI election?

From BBC • May 16, 2026

Was it possible to “passively” manage a fund where investments were made without any discretion of the investment manager?

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

Was this a freak occurrence, or a sign of things to come?

From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026

Was this an error on the part of whoever manages Dylan’s social media?

From Salon • May 12, 2026

Was it possible that Will wasn’t who he’d said he was?

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler