false dawn
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of false dawn
First recorded in 1825–35
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.
A rare first-round pick spent on Mac Jones in 2021 proved a false dawn as the Pats made the play-offs but were thrashed by Josh Allen's Buffalo.
From BBC ● Feb. 4, 2026
But it looks like that tentative rebound was another false dawn for the cryptocurrencies.
From Barron's ● Jan. 9, 2026
The question now is whether this represents a false dawn on inflation, or the start of a durable decline in rising costs — and interest rates.
From New York Times ● Nov. 15, 2023
The next week or so will show whether or not this is a false dawn with U.S. payrolls numbers due on Friday, U.S.
From Reuters ● Mar. 6, 2023
I curled up behind the table and slept a little while until in the dim false dawn Charley looked into my face and said “Ftt.”
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
