once more

USAGE SUMMARY

"once more" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to indicate repetition, such as in the following example sentence: "He tried once more, but his efforts were in vain."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Once More!

The New York Times

It's us once more,.

The New Yorker

And once more.

The New York Times - Arts

He nodded once more.

The New Yorker

"Say that once more.

The New Yorker

They kiss once more.

The New York Times - Books

Failure once more.

The New York Times - Magazine

And fashionable once more.

The New York Times - Travel

Once more, coercion loomed.

The Economist

Hacker enlisted once more.

The New York Times

Once more – smile!

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "once more" to add emphasis to a repeated action or state, particularly when highlighting the continuation of something despite previous occurrences or challenges.

Common error

Avoid using "once more" in simple sentences where "again" suffices. Overusing it can make your writing sound unnecessarily formal or repetitive.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "once more" functions primarily as an adverbial phrase. It modifies a verb or clause to indicate repetition or recurrence. Ludwig examples showcase it modifying verbs to describe repeated actions.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

38%

Wiki

20%

Formal & Business

9%

Less common in

Science

8%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "once more" is a grammatically sound and widely used adverbial phrase to indicate repetition, as confirmed by Ludwig. While the phrase is perfectly acceptable for use, remember to consider when "again" would suffice. It appears most frequently in News & Media and Wiki sources and has a neutral to slightly formal tone. It emphasizes the continuation of an action, which is generally seen across various reliable sources.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

again

A more concise and commonly used synonym.

again

A straightforward equivalent, emphasizing the repetition of an action or event.

yet again

Emphasizes that something is happening repeatedly, possibly to an undesirable extent.

one more time

A more literal and emphatic way to express the concept of doing something again.

repeatedly

Focuses on the action being done multiple times, without a specific limit.

over again

Stresses the cyclical nature of the repetition.

afresh

Suggests starting something anew, possibly with a fresh approach.

anew

Similar to 'afresh', indicating a new beginning or repetition.

a second time

More specific, denoting a repetition exactly once.

in turn

Suggests a sequential repetition among multiple entities.

FAQs

How can I use "once more" in a sentence?

You can use "once more" to indicate that something is happening again, as in, "He tried "again", but failed "again"".

What are some alternatives to "once more"?

Alternatives include "again", "one more time", or "repeatedly", depending on the context.

Is there a difference between "once more" and "again"?

"Once more" and "again" are largely interchangeable, but "once more" can sometimes carry a slightly more formal or emphatic tone.

When is it best to use "once more" instead of other similar phrases?

Use "once more" when you want to emphasize the repetition or continuation of an action, particularly if it's following a series of previous attempts or occurrences.