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Definitions

dawn on

VERB
occur
Synonyms
STRONGEST
hit reveal strike
STRONG
expose flash
WEAK
come to one cross one's mind go through one's head offer itself present itself spring to mind suggest itself
Antonyms
STRONGEST
lose
VERB
register
Synonyms
STRONG
impress tell
WEAK
come home to get through to have an effect on sink in
Antonyms
WEAK
eradicate erase
VERB
strike
Synonyms
STRONGEST
affect carry get hit move reach touch
STRONG
impress influence inspire look register seem sway
WEAK
be plausible come to mind have semblance occur to

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.

Just over 100 people forced to leave their homes gathered from dawn on Monday at a WFP distribution site in Paktia province, on Afghanistan's eastern border, to receive fortified biscuits, an AFP photographer said.

From Barron's • Mar. 16, 2026

Between midnight and dawn on Tuesday, the Earth will pass directly between the sun and the moon.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 2, 2026

Just before dawn on Nov. 13, 2024, FBI agents smashed through the door of Shayne Coplan’s penthouse apartment in Manhattan, barged into his bedroom and grabbed his phone.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 2, 2026

It will peak between 3 and 4 January with the best viewing conditions before dawn on 4 January.

From BBC • Jan. 3, 2026

Not that Jayme needed to hear that; she says when her friend came out to her, it didn’t even dawn on her that it was an issue.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel