were

[wur, wer, wair] / wɜr, wər, wɛər /

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.

"She went through different things. I went through different things. I feel like we both were completely different players and people."

From BBC • Jul. 5, 2026

They said they were overwhelmed with joy that Jin, 57 years old, was free after nearly nine months of captivity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 5, 2026

Some celebrations also were shut down in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland - and as far west as Colorado.

From BBC • Jul. 5, 2026

At the time of Trump’s summit in Beijing in May, 18 people associated with Zion Church, including Jin, were in police custody.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 5, 2026

What if Ted were in this stranger’s position?

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly