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.

“It was the catalyst for us realizing we were serious.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 1, 2026

Ceremonial organ music played, the ordination vows were taken, of course, in Latin.

From BBC • Jul. 1, 2026

There were other chapters he had to close the book on, mainly Hollywood.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 1, 2026

Nuno Espirito Santo and Ange Postecoglou were also sacked by Forest last season, with Dyche lasting 114 days before being replaced by Pereira.

From BBC • Jul. 1, 2026

When the Japanese military took control of all media in the Philippines, Filipinos lost access to objective news sources and were left only with propaganda.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly