usher in

verb

ushered in; ushering in; ushers in

transitive verb

1

: to serve to bring into being

a discovery that ushered in a period of change

2

: to mark or observe the beginning of

ushered in the new year with merrymaking

Choose the Right Synonym for usher in

begin, commence, start, initiate, inaugurate, usher in mean to take the first step in a course, process, or operation.

begin, start, and commence are often interchangeable.

begin, opposed to end, is the most general.

begin a trip

began dancing

start, opposed to stop, applies especially to first actions, steps, or stages.

the work started slowly

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

commence firing

commenced a conversation

initiate implies taking a first step in a process or series that is to continue.

initiated diplomatic contacts

inaugurate suggests a beginning of some formality or notion of significance.

the discovery of penicillin inaugurated a new era in medicine

usher in is somewhat less weighty than inaugurate.

ushered in a period of economic decline

Examples of usher in in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Data helped usher in legislation that banned the use of the insecticide, DDT. —Kim Bellware The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 28 Dec. 2025

Maryland is set to usher in some new laws when the calendar changes to 2026. —Adam Thompson, CBS News, 28 Dec. 2025

The late '90s ushered in a new wave of animal horror movies, with films like 1999's Lake Placid and Deep Blue Sea. —Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 28 Dec. 2025

And strong thunderstorms in the South will usher in a new round of cold temperatures to start the New Year. —Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 28 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1