1
as in to commence
to take the first step in (a process or course of action)
she began walking to work for exercise
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to start
to come into existence
the storm began late in the day and lasted all night
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to establish
to be responsible for the creation and early operation or use of
the religious sect was begun by a small breakaway faction
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of begin
Then, America began exporting caviar to Europe, causing prices to skyrocket because the production boom made sturgeon scarce and caviar rare.
—
Chad Murphy, Cincinnati Enquirer, 10 Feb. 2026
The Tuesday hearing is an interlude in a longer hearing that began last November over the LA Alliance’s contention that the city repeatedly failed to comply with the 2022 settlement.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
Fat Tuesday is a day of feasting on rich foods before the fasting period of Lent begins.
—Chris Sims, IndyStar, 10 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, the Justice Department began allowing lawmakers to examine millions of unredacted documents from the Epstein files that haven’t been released publicly.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for begin
Chad Murphy, Cincinnati Enquirer, 10 Feb. 2026
The Tuesday hearing is an interlude in a longer hearing that began last November over the LA Alliance’s contention that the city repeatedly failed to comply with the 2022 settlement.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
Fat Tuesday is a day of feasting on rich foods before the fasting period of Lent begins.
—Chris Sims, IndyStar, 10 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, the Justice Department began allowing lawmakers to examine millions of unredacted documents from the Epstein files that haven’t been released publicly.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for begin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for begin
Verb
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Principal photography will commence June 2026.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
5 Feb. 2026
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While some Winter Olympic qualifying rounds begin on Wednesday, February 4, the Milano Cortina Games officially commence with the opening ceremony on February 6 and run until Sunday, February 22.—
Emily Tannenbaum,
Glamour,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In the past year, their silence broken by the abolition of the police force, residents have started trading stories.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
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Sullivan, raised in Massachusetts and now based in New York, started her gallery as a hybrid space straddling the worlds of decorative arts and fine art, of things made yesterday and over a century ago.—
Grace Edquist,
Vogue,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The council was established in April 2024, nearly three years after President Jovenel Moïse was killed at his residence, throwing Haiti into widespread upheaval.—
EVENS SANON,
Arkansas Online,
8 Feb. 2026
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The Uniform Time Act of 1966 established specific dates for the start of daylight saving time.—
Jordan Green,
Memphis Commercial Appeal,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Mark your calendar On Thursday, Malia scored another exclusive, reporting on LACMA’s announcement that the David Geffen Galleries, the pinnacle of a two-decade campus transformation, will officially open April 19.—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
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The hunt was opened to public, DIY hunting in 2020.—
Kris Millgate,
Outdoor Life,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Chess, meanwhile, is thought to have originated in ancient India, and nobody really knows when or where backgammon originated.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
10 Feb. 2026
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The challenge originated 48 years ago as the American Heart Association’s Jump Rope for Heart challenge, a fundraiser that taught kids the importance of heart health through jump roping.—
Carolyn Stein,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Detroit center Jalen Duren received a two-game suspension for initiating the altercation and fighting.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
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Duren received two games for fighting and initiating the altercation.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Within the context of Moore’s Law, the primary bottlenecks arise from the physical limits of transistor scaling, memory and data-transfer speeds, and software and algorithmic inefficiencies.—
Matthew S Williams,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Feb. 2026
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Problems arise when trees interfere with power lines, but professional pruning can correct this.—
Lee Wallender,
The Spruce,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Meanwhile the National Citizen Party (NCP), a political party founded by students following the uprising, has struggled to meaningfully muscle its way into Bangladesh’s fractious and often violent political scene.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
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Who founded Black History Month?—
Alex Perry,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Begin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/begin. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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