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.

Government bond prices were weighed by concerns that higher oil prices could stoke inflation and spur central banks to hike interest rates faster or pause rate cuts for longer.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

“Most stations were out,” said Kristina Topalović, a tour guide in the Slovenian capital, Ljubljana.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

Spelling was pregnant at the time of the incident, and her oldest two children were in the car.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026

Pork exports from the Catalonia region were down 17% in January compared to the previous year.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

There were twenty cook stations, each as big as his entire kitchen.

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