once upon a time
idiom
: at some time in the past
He was a famous actor once upon a time.
Note: Once upon a time is the traditional way to begin a fairy tale.
Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess named Snow White.
Examples of once upon a time in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The bigger issue is Johnson, who once upon a time was such a promising leading actor, a mountain of a man capable of embodying unexpected vulnerability.
—
Alison Willmore, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2024
The Yankees, despite generations of dominance once upon a time, haven't won a championship since 2009, and this is their first appearance in the World Series since then.
—Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 25 Oct. 2024
The platform gave me everything once upon a time, so many years ago.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2024
What’s more, Lorenz is the former director of the Independent Living Resource Center in San Francisco and once upon a time worked with mayor Gavin Newsom’s office in addressing concerns raised with the city about Americans with Disabilities Act complaints.
—Steven Aquino, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for once upon a time 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Alison Willmore, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2024
The Yankees, despite generations of dominance once upon a time, haven't won a championship since 2009, and this is their first appearance in the World Series since then.
—Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 25 Oct. 2024
The platform gave me everything once upon a time, so many years ago.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2024
What’s more, Lorenz is the former director of the Independent Living Resource Center in San Francisco and once upon a time worked with mayor Gavin Newsom’s office in addressing concerns raised with the city about Americans with Disabilities Act complaints.
—Steven Aquino, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for once upon a time
Dictionary Entries Near once upon a time
Cite this Entry
“Once upon a time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/once%20upon%20a%20time. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share