start 1 of 3

1
as in to jump
to move suddenly and sharply (as in surprise) I started from my chair when I heard the sudden scream

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
3
4
5
6

start

2 of 3

noun

started

3 of 3

verb (2)

past tense of start
1
2
3
4
5
6

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 start
Verb
The project's livestream starts at 2:00 pm ET (1900 GMT) and can be viewed via the project's website or YouTube channel. Brett Tingley, Space.com, 9 Feb. 2025 The quickest is a two-mile, out-and-back hike that starts behind the park’s ranger station. Korrin Bishop, Southern Living, 9 Feb. 2025
Noun
Sarah Barthel of Phantogram is glad the band got its start before short-form video apps became the de facto route to break new music. Glenn Peoples, Billboard, 7 Feb. 2025 The themes of parental love and letting go resonated with Bowers, shaping his musical direction from the very start. Tiana Denicola, Variety, 7 Feb. 2025
Verb
That’s quite a feat for a team that started playing football in 1925. Josh Kendall, The Athletic, 24 Dec. 2024 The cold of the night had returned, and the baby had started to shiver. Karen Zautyk, New York Daily News, 24 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for start 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for start
Noun
  • At the beginning of the Feb. 10 episode, host Jesse Palmer announced that there’d be one group date and two one-on-one dates.
    Dana Rose Falcone, People.com, 11 Feb. 2025
  • At the beginning of last year, Honda rearranged the corporate structure around its motorsport activities.
    Ars Technica, Ars Technica, 11 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Morehouse College President David Thomas speaks during Morehouse College’s graduation ceremony, before US President Joe Biden delivers his commencement address, in Atlanta, Georgia on May 19, 2024.
    Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 30 Jan. 2025
  • Since the commencement of his second term, hundreds of undocumented immigrants have been arrested.
    Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • In the four decades since its inception, MusiCares has raised more than $100 million to provide assistance to musicians and other music-industry workers facing financial, medical and personal hardships, including addiction recovery and disaster relief.
    George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Feb. 2025
  • Denmark joined the Invictus movement in 2014, the inception of the competition, with a focus on healing the mental health of service members, the team's website says.
    Janine Henni, People.com, 31 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Beaver’s Pond Press experienced this firsthand during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
    Mars King, Twin Cities, 9 Feb. 2025
  • There is a very strict window of time in which this medicine can be given — three hours from the onset of symptoms, although there can be exceptions under specific circumstances.
    Katia Hetter, CNN, 7 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Eyes are on an international launch in the $110M neighborhood.
    Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 11 Feb. 2025
  • Musk cut ties with the company in 2018 but watched from the sidelines as OpenAI became a media darling in 2022 and 2023 following the launch of ChatGPT and then GPT-4.
    Ars Technica, Ars Technica, 11 Feb. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near start

Cite this Entry

“Start.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/start. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on start

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!