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.

Investors were so dazzled by Google Cloud’s growth that they were willing to overlook increased capital expenditures — or perhaps saw them as necessary to fuel continued growth.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 29, 2026

A California state audit in 2022 found that more than 150 licensed hospice and home health agencies were licensed at a single building in Los Angeles.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

They were all linked together in an intricate spider's web of cross-shareholdings.

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026

By then, investors had been heavily shorting Avis, meaning they were borrowing shares and selling them at market prices on a bet they could buy them back at a cheaper price.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

Their faces were brighter than the sunlight bouncing off the beautiful cornstalks behind them.

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