During Synonym: Throughout, While, Amid and More

The most useful during synonym is throughout when you mean the whole period, and in, over or in the course of when you mean one moment inside it. Amid places an event in the middle of something busy or tense, and while does the same job before a full clause.

That last point trips up a lot of writers, so this page shows which words take a noun and which take a subject and verb. You will also get tested rewrites, a formality ladder, and another word for during for reports, stories and quick messages.

Swatch at a glance

Best swaps
throughout, in the course of, over, amid
Part of speech
Preposition
Most formal
for the duration of, in the course of
Most casual
in, on, all through
Whole period
throughout, all through, for the duration of
Takes a clause
while, when, as
Watch out
During needs a noun. Write during the meeting or while we met, never during we met.

Whole stretch or single moment?

During is ambiguous. It rained during the night might mean all night or once. Picking a replacement forces you to decide.

You mean	Use	Example
The entire time	throughout, all through, for the duration of	Guests keep their badges for the duration of their visit.
One point inside it	in, at, in the course of	The fire alarm rang in the second lesson.
Spread across a span	over	Sales rose over the summer.
In the middle of a busy scene	amid, in the midst of	He slipped out amid the applause.

During synonym grammar: noun or clause

During, throughout, over and amid are prepositions, so a noun phrase follows: during the storm, amid the chaos. While, when and as are conjunctions, so a subject and verb follow: while the storm raged.

Correct: During lunch, we talked.
Correct: While we ate lunch, we talked.
Wrong: During we ate lunch, we talked.

The while synonyms and when synonyms pages cover the clause side in more depth.

Friendly to formal

The chip strip moves from short everyday words to longer formal ones. In and over are invisible and quick. Throughout is neutral and works in nearly every register; its own throughout synonyms page lists more. In the course of suits reports and minutes. For the duration of has the stiffest tone, like a notice or a rule.

Do not stack formal phrases. One in the course of per page is plenty; after that, a plain in reads better.

Rewritten sentences

During the meeting, two issues came up becomes in the course of the meeting, two issues came up.
He was calm during the whole crisis becomes he was calm throughout the crisis.
Prices doubled during ten years becomes prices doubled over ten years.
She left during the noise becomes she left amid the noise.
I read during the train ride becomes I read on the train ride.
Music is banned during the test becomes music is banned for the duration of each test.

A text to a roommate: "Can you feed the cat during my trip?" works fine. In a formal handover note, "Please feed the cat each morning for the duration of my absence" sets clearer expectations.

Close cousins that change the meaning

Within sets a limit rather than a setting: reply within a week means no later than a week, not at some point in it. See the within synonyms page. Through in American English can mean up to and including: Monday through Friday. Meanwhile is an adverb that links two sentences, so it cannot open a noun phrase the way during does.

Before, after and outside

During has no perfect antonym, but these words place an event beyond the period instead of inside it: before or prior to for earlier, after or following for later, and outside for any time not covered.

Please arrive before the ceremony.
Calls outside office hours go to voicemail.

Browse the transition words hub for more ways to order events in time.

Frequently asked questions

Which during replacement sounds most official?

In the course of and for the duration of are the formal options. Throughout is slightly formal too but works in everyday writing.

Does while replace during directly?

Yes, but the grammar changes. During takes a noun, while takes a clause: during dinner, but while we had dinner.

How is throughout different from during?

Throughout always means the entire period. During can mean the whole period or just one moment in it.

Is amid the same as during?

Amid means during and in the middle of something, usually noisy, busy or troubled. It fits news writing and stories well.

Does during have an antonym?

Not a true one. Words like before, after and outside move the event to a time beyond the period you mean.