How to Use when in a Sentence

when

1 of 2 adverb

• It was a time when people didn't have to lock their doors.
• When is the next performance?
• We're still waiting for the test results, when we'll decide our next move.
• The detective asked me when I last saw her.
• When did the American Civil War begin?
• That was back in a time when there weren’t so many bowls.
  — Tim Sullivan, USA TODAY, 27 Mar. 2021
• But when Cousins will throw to Smith again is not known.
  — Mark Inabinett | [e-mail], al, 31 Aug. 2021
• The quickest way is when it's inhaled through the lungs.
  — Justin Madden, cleveland.com, 19 July 2017
• That's how the Bucks planned things when the area around the new arena was laid out.
  — Drake Bentley, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 20 June 2021
• Via the touchscreen, the car can be parked even when there’s no driver at the wheel.
  — David Beard, Car and Driver, 25 Dec. 2017
• And when there are fans, having the crowd cheer for you, is just a dream come true.
  — Tony Baranek, chicagotribune.com, 8 Apr. 2021
• Age has taught me many things, among them when to ask for help.
  — Jessica Battilana, San Francisco Chronicle, 10 Nov. 2021
• The ribs are done when the meat is tender and slightly pulls away from the bone.
  — Beth Segal, cleveland, 14 May 2021
• This marks the first time since 1999 that OU won’t be ranked when playing Iowa State. ...
  — Mark Heim | [e-mail], al, 29 Oct. 2022
• Even when programs have been able to stay open, many have had to scale down.
  — Elliot Haspel, Washington Post, 30 June 2022
• Way back when, the very first iPhone was a status symbol.
  — David Pierce, WIRED, 3 Nov. 2017
• This is the grandfather who gave me my name when I was born.
  — Tejal Rao, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2020
• The process starts the night before, when the restaurant is empty.
  — Cesar Hernandez, San Francisco Chronicle, 25 July 2022
• The footprints were formed when people strode over damp, sandy ground on the margin of a lake.
  — New York Times, 23 Sep. 2021
• Robin knew it when the offers came flying through the door.
  — Cameron Teague Robinson, The Courier-Journal, 2 Mar. 2022
• The Wolverines struck back when Har-Ber punted from its 15.
  — Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2022
• There will be times when the voice in your head tries to convince you to take the easy route and take shortcuts.
  — Ross Franklin, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2021
• Mother’s Day — when there’s little to no threat of frost.
  — oregonlive, 28 Aug. 2020
• Elon Musk left the world buzzing when his plans to buy Twitter was announced back in May 2022.
  — Jasmine Browley, Essence, 18 Aug. 2022
• Be the first to know when Jay Caspian Kang publishes a new piece.
  — Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2022
• Hunt couldn’t put any weight on his right leg when he was being helped over to the sideline.
  — Tim Bielik, cleveland, 17 Oct. 2021
• The weight of those thoughts is heaviest when her son leaves her to return to his dad.
  — Amanda Ostuni, EW.com, 16 Mar. 2022
• That’s when one of the woman’s friends started recording.
  — Manori Ravindran, Variety, 1 July 2022
• Remember back in the day when a big flat-screen TV was a total luxury item?
  — Kim Komando, USA TODAY, 26 Jan. 2023
• Police believe the victim was with friends and jumped off a jet ski to swim with a pod of dolphins in the river when the shark attack occurred.
  — Reuters, NBC News, 5 Feb. 2023

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when

2 of 2 noun

• The springy, lightweight nylon frames comfortably grip the head with sticky-when-wet pads at the nose and earpieces.
  — Outside Online, 15 May 2018
• The party guests are playing a freeze-when-the-music-stops game, but Joe is off in his own world, not paying attention.
  — Neil Genzlinger, New York Times, 12 July 2016
• Daniel could have said no when his flinty-when-not-curmudgeonly father, Jay, asked to audit the classics class Daniel was teaching at Bard College.
  — Peter Lewis, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Sep. 2017
• When Calvo relinquished the captain’s armband, Alonso put it on and has been credited with a lead-by-example, speak-when-necessary leadership style that garners attention and respect.
  — Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 17 Oct. 2019
• What the possibilities of technology offer — beyond the gig-when-you-need-it networks — are a chance to collectively rethink generations of regulations.
  — Scott Canon, kansascity, 29 May 2017
• The springy, lightweight nylon frames comfortably grip the head with sticky-when-wet pads at the nose and earpieces.
  — Outside Online, 15 May 2018
• The party guests are playing a freeze-when-the-music-stops game, but Joe is off in his own world, not paying attention.
  — Neil Genzlinger, New York Times, 12 July 2016
• Daniel could have said no when his flinty-when-not-curmudgeonly father, Jay, asked to audit the classics class Daniel was teaching at Bard College.
  — Peter Lewis, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Sep. 2017
• When Calvo relinquished the captain’s armband, Alonso put it on and has been credited with a lead-by-example, speak-when-necessary leadership style that garners attention and respect.
  — Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 17 Oct. 2019
• What the possibilities of technology offer — beyond the gig-when-you-need-it networks — are a chance to collectively rethink generations of regulations.
  — Scott Canon, kansascity, 29 May 2017
• The springy, lightweight nylon frames comfortably grip the head with sticky-when-wet pads at the nose and earpieces.
  — Outside Online, 15 May 2018
• The party guests are playing a freeze-when-the-music-stops game, but Joe is off in his own world, not paying attention.
  — Neil Genzlinger, New York Times, 12 July 2016
• Daniel could have said no when his flinty-when-not-curmudgeonly father, Jay, asked to audit the classics class Daniel was teaching at Bard College.
  — Peter Lewis, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Sep. 2017
• When Calvo relinquished the captain’s armband, Alonso put it on and has been credited with a lead-by-example, speak-when-necessary leadership style that garners attention and respect.
  — Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 17 Oct. 2019
• What the possibilities of technology offer — beyond the gig-when-you-need-it networks — are a chance to collectively rethink generations of regulations.
  — Scott Canon, kansascity, 29 May 2017
• The springy, lightweight nylon frames comfortably grip the head with sticky-when-wet pads at the nose and earpieces.
  — Outside Online, 15 May 2018
• The party guests are playing a freeze-when-the-music-stops game, but Joe is off in his own world, not paying attention.
  — Neil Genzlinger, New York Times, 12 July 2016
• Daniel could have said no when his flinty-when-not-curmudgeonly father, Jay, asked to audit the classics class Daniel was teaching at Bard College.
  — Peter Lewis, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Sep. 2017
• When Calvo relinquished the captain’s armband, Alonso put it on and has been credited with a lead-by-example, speak-when-necessary leadership style that garners attention and respect.
  — Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 17 Oct. 2019
• What the possibilities of technology offer — beyond the gig-when-you-need-it networks — are a chance to collectively rethink generations of regulations.
  — Scott Canon, kansascity, 29 May 2017

Last Updated: 5 Sep 2024