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Synonym Chooser

How is the word begin different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of begin are commence, inaugurate, initiate, start, and usher in. While all these words mean "to take the first step in a course, process, or operation," begin, start, and commence are often interchangeable, with begin, opposed to end, being the most general.

begin a trip
began dancing

How is commence related to other words for begin?

Commence can be more formal or bookish than begin or start.

commence firing
commenced a conversation

When could inaugurate be used to replace begin?

The words inaugurate and begin are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, inaugurate suggests a beginning of some formality or notion of significance.

the discovery of penicillin inaugurated a new era in medicine

When would initiate be a good substitute for begin?

While the synonyms initiate and begin are close in meaning, initiate implies taking a first step in a process or series that is to continue.

initiated diplomatic contacts

Where would start be a reasonable alternative to begin?

The synonyms start and begin are sometimes interchangeable, but start, opposed to stop, applies especially to first actions, steps, or stages.

the work started slowly

How are the words usher in and inaugurate related as synonyms of begin?

Usher in is somewhat less weighty than inaugurate.

ushered in a period of economic decline

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of begin Their story began in 1961 when Baez, already a folk star in her own right, first saw Dylan performing in Greenwich Village. Jenzia Burgos, StyleCaster, 27 Mar. 2025 Ye’s hate train first began on Super Bowl LIX weekend, coincidentally the same weekend that Lamar was slated to perform during the Apple Music halftime show. Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 27 Mar. 2025 The true story begins with Hornigold receiving an email from a woman named Dionne, who is claiming to be his mother. Charley Ross, Glamour, 27 Mar. 2025 Increasingly, those searches begin online, in industry communities, and on professional platforms. Rhea Wessel, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for begin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for begin
Verb
  • The strikes commenced approximately two hours after Goldberg received the information.
    Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 25 Mar. 2025
  • Under-the-radar talks about them joining Loewe commenced last October, the same sources said.
    Miles Socha, WWD, 24 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Spencer Torkelson, who was rumored to start the season at Triple-A, homered in the top of the seventh to draw Detroit within one run.
    Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025
  • To start, test kitchen editor Kendra Vaculin is sharing a recipe for Mar i Muntanya, a Catalan surf-and-turf dish.
    Editors of Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Regional hubs have been established in North America, China, France, Sweden, and Spain to cover the specific requirements and automotive regulations of the respective countries.
    Jeanette Rohr, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
  • Robertson, a former sheriff’s deputy, has been the leading opponent against past measures to compensate people and to establish a law to let legal experts make that decision instead of legislators.
    Charlotte Kramon, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Basehor’s population has more than tripled since 2000, and residents will no longer have to drive to Bonner Springs or KCK after the Fareway opens.
    Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2025
  • Lecture on history of Umatilla Author and local historian Richard Cronin will present a lecture on the founding of Umatilla and the railroad that opened the region at 2 p.m. April 7 at the Umatilla Public Library, 412 Hatfield Drive.
    Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The Friday earthquake originated near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city of about 1.5 million, from rubbing tectonic plates along the Sagaing fault, which runs through the center of the country.
    Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2025
  • The History of the Hot Brown The dish originated in the 1920s, when flocks of patrons gathered to refuel at the hotel restaurant following The Brown’s popular dinner dances, which drew 1,200 guests nightly.
    Robin Roenker, Southern Living, 29 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • In severe weather conditions, forcing or lift mechanisms, such as a cold front, dry line, or terrain, are needed to trigger rising air and initiate thunderstorm development.
    Alana Wise, NPR, 5 Apr. 2025
  • Cunha thrives in dropping deep — sometimes all the way into his own half — and initiating moves like the one below against Southampton from last November.
    Art de Roché, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • And that reluctance and confusion arises, in part, because of just how random the death penalty can be.
    Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 29 Mar. 2025
  • Fluoridation was initially smeared as a communist plot against America, Hayes said, and then later fears arose of possible links to cancer, which were refuted through extensive scientific research.
    Brett Kelman, CNN Money, 29 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Alon-Lee Green, the founding co-director of Standing Together, a progressive grassroots movement, told CNN that young people aren’t at fault for the extremist attitudes that are dividing wider Israeli society.
    Kara Fox, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2025
  • The state also set up a separate fundraising arm for the program, The Hope Florida Foundation, whose officers include lobbyists for Walgreens and Koch Industries, the massive private corporation founded by the conservative mega-donor Koch brothers.
    Alexandra Glorioso, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Begin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/begin. Accessed 10 Apr. 2025.

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