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.

Everything fell: oil prices, the dollar, even gold, because investors were shocked by how unsophisticated and draconian the policy was.

From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026

He said that consumers were still spending, despite anxieties over what direction the economy might take.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 5, 2026

They were right, but ultimately it wasn’t the website ads that transformed their creative pastime into a money-making industry.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

The findings were reported in the journal ACS Nano.

From Science Daily • Apr. 5, 2026

“Why were you off with him”—I gesture at the singer—“when you came here with Ell?”

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