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.

Before the April cease-fire, Israel wasn’t happy that it got word that a deal was finalized at a late stage and wasn’t consulted, The Wall Street Journal previously reported.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 23, 2026

As for what happened in the playoffs, Rodriguez said, “We changed our perspective to playing baseball instead of doing baseball. It was let’s have fun.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026

At half-time on his Liverpool debut at Watford, on 12 August 2017, Klopp's message to the new recruit was simply: "Welcome to the Premier League."

From BBC • May 23, 2026

The spokesman for Iran’s negotiating team, Esmail Baghaei, earlier on Saturday said the 30- to 60-day time frame was reasonable.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 23, 2026

Aunt Mabel could make that much in forty-five minutes, but she was an expert.

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