1
general::
noun early morning ADJ. grey VERB + DAWN greet (literary) He always got up to greet the dawn. DAWN + VERB break, come (up) Dawn was breaking over the valley. DAWN + NOUN light, sky | chorus The dawn chorus (= birds singing) woke Robyn at five. | patrol, raid Ammunition was seized during a dawn raid on the flat. PREP. at ~ That morning, she rose at dawn. | before ~, by ~, till/until ~, towards ~ PHRASES (at) the crack of dawn (= as soon as it begins to be light), from dawn to dusk He works from dawn to dusk, and often well into the night. beginning ADJ. false This sudden success may prove to be a false dawn (= not the beginning of continued success). | new PREP. ~ of the dawn of civilization/history/a new era Let's think back to the dawn of time., verb begin PHRASES dawn bright, sunny, clear, cold, etc. The day dawned bright and sunny. become clear ADV. suddenly | gradually, slowly It slowly dawned on me that he might have been mistaken. | eventually, finally VERB + DAWN begin to It was beginning to dawn on her that she had been fooled. PREP. on The dreadful truth finally dawned on me.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
3
general::
dawn on sb
If a fact dawns on you, you understand it after a period of not understanding it
• [ + that ]: I was about to pay for the shopping when it suddenly dawned on me that I'd left my cheque book at home.
Cambridge-Phrasal Verbs