The crossword solutions for the term IS OR WAS are VERB, which is a four-letter word. A verb is a part of speech that expresses an action, occurrence, or state of being. Verbs can be used to describe physical actions, mental actions, or states of being. Verbs are often used to link the subject of a sentence with other words in the sentence. Verbs are also used to express tense, such as past, present, and future.