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.

Meanwhile, my sister was born, and throughout her childhood and most of her adolescence, my dad insisted they were moving back to Argentina.

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026

They note that the main culprit was a “catastrophically bad control-room design” where workers “were unable to understand what was going wrong.”

From Slate • Apr. 4, 2026

Shipping analysts said it was the first vessel owned by a major Western European firm to go through the strait since the conflict began on 28 February.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

Samantha Bird was not comfortable talking to her three young children about money.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 4, 2026

As soon as she was ready, Maggie drug her out to stand in front of another Osage family’s cornfield so she could shoot a few portraits.

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