once upon a time

1. On some past occasion, as in I may have sung this piece once upon a time, but I don't really remember it. This phrase, first recorded in 1595, is frequently used as the opening line of fairy tales and stories told to children, as in Once upon a time there was a king who had three beautiful daughters.

Example Sentences

“Once upon a time, there was a robot who lived alone on an island,” Roz began.

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"Once upon a time potatoes and sugar beet weren't grown here and now they're one of the main crops in the area," said Sarah-Jane Taylor.

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Once upon a time, my wife’s uncle, Jim, delivered babies, set broken bones, diagnosed diseases, and helped people reconcile themselves to mortality.

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A go-to for programmes about dead Hollywood celebrities and murder, he has consulted for Quentin Tarantino's Manson murder film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

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Once upon a time, we only had one CPU provider.

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Related Words

• already 
• before 
• earlier www.thesaurus.com
• formerly 
• late 
• previously