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.

One of the crew members said ships were heeding the warning.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026

“While I was a hotshot, there were three of those fires burning simultaneously, including a million-acre fire — more than used to burn across the entire American West over the course of a decade.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2026

Data from tracking site MarineTraffic showed some vessels were able to make it through the strait while it was briefly open.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

The National Survey for Wales published in May 2025 found that 33% of adults in the area were classed as obese.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

And so, as they drove, Kathy couldn’t even guess where they were going.

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