begin

1 to take the first step in (a process or course of action) <she began walking to work for exercise> Synonyms commence, embark (on or upon), enter (into or upon), fall (to), get off, kick off, launch, lead off, open, start, strike (into) Related Words create, generate, inaugurate, initiate, innovate, invent, originate; adopt, embrace, take on, take up; establish, father, found, institute, organize, pioneer, set up, spawn; get around (to), get down (to), get round (to) Phrases get going, get to, set about Near Antonyms cease, desist, discontinue, halt, knock off, lay off, quit, stop; close, complete; abandon, forsake, leave; abolish, demolish, destroy, exterminate, extinguish, phase out Antonyms conclude, end, finish, terminate

2 to come into existence <the storm began late in the day and lasted all night> Synonyms actualize, appear, arise, break, commence, dawn, engender, form, materialize, originate, set in, spring, start Related Words be, breathe, exist, live, subsist; arrive, come on, emerge; coalesce, cohere, shape (up); continue, endure, last, persist, survive Near Antonyms conclude, desist, discontinue, finish, halt, quit, terminate; disappear, dissolve, evaporate, vanish; depart, die, expire, pass away, perish Antonyms cease, end, stop

3 to be responsible for the creation and early operation or use of <the religious sect was begun by a small breakaway faction> Synonyms found, constitute, establish, inaugurate, initiate, innovate, institute, introduce, launch, pioneer, plant, set up, startRelated Words author, father, originate; conceive, concoct, contrive, cook (up), create, devise, fabricate, invent, make up, manufacture, produce, think (up); construct, put up; develop, enlarge, expand; endow, finance, fund, subsidize; arrange, organize, systematize, systemize; refound, reinitiate, reinstitute, relaunchNear Antonyms abolish, annihilate, annul, nullify; end, finish, halt, stop, terminate; round (off or out), wind up, wrap upAntonyms close (down), phase out, shut (up)