Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of commence are begin, inaugurate, initiate, start, and usher in. While all these words mean "to take the first step in a course, process, or operation," commence can be more formal or bookish than begin or start.

commence firing
commenced a conversation

How does the word begin relate to other synonyms for commence?

Begin, start, and commence are often interchangeable, with begin, opposed to end, being the most general.

begin a trip
began dancing

Where would inaugurate be a reasonable alternative to commence?

The words inaugurate and commence 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 is initiate a more appropriate choice than commence?

In some situations, the words initiate and commence are roughly equivalent. However, initiate implies taking a first step in a process or series that is to continue.

initiated diplomatic contacts

When could start be used to replace commence?

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

the work started slowly

How do usher in and inaugurate relate to one another, in the sense of commence?

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 commence The disarmament phase was slated to begin in the second stage of the agreement, which was set to commence after all the hostages were returned. Caitlin McFall, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2025 Here, for now, are three pressing questions as the offseason commences. Matt Gelb, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025 An Israeli official stated that the ceasefire would commence immediately, with the military given 24 hours to reposition. Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025 After announcing the results of the 2014 investigation, an ATF spokesperson said the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration would commence an investigation of its own to determine fault and whether there were any safety violations at the plant. Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 10 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for commence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commence
Verb
  • The incident on Saturday morning began when Oakland police were called about person who had broken into a home on the 11000 block of Ettrick Street, in a hills neighborhood near the Oakland Zoo.
    Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 20 Oct. 2025
  • The issue began shortly after midnight PDT in AWS' main US-East-1 region hosted in northern Virginia.
    Tasmin Lockwood,Katrina Bishop, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • But Hough and Inaba found themselves at loggerheads when the former's critique started to go south.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Amazon dropped hundreds of early bird Christmas tree deals, with festive artificial firs and spruces starting at just $33.
    Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Bewildered, the space weather expert wanted to know if there could be space weather events that were smaller than coronal mass ejections and did not originate directly from solar eruptions.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Dating back to the 1800s, Brandy Snap cookie originated in England and become widely known for their thin, lacy texture and delicate crunch.
    Jenavieve Christensen, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Anthropologist Eugenia Shanklin’s analysis of the details in this legend, and her discussions with Kom people (1989), led her to conclude that the geomyth arose after a real natural disaster centuries ago.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
  • When speaking with The Hollywood Reporter earlier this year, Next Gen NYC creator and executive producer Michaline Babich explained that the idea for the series arose from her time working on The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.
    McKinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Members of the committee from both political parties criticized Underly for choosing to accept an alumni award at Indiana University instead of appearing before the committee Thursday to answer questions about student safety for the public that have arisen because of the Capital Times reporting.
    Molly Beck, jsonline.com, 24 Oct. 2025
  • But for consumers, higher wages on paper do not appear to have eased the sting of rising prices, according to several recent surveys.
    Steve Kopack, NBC news, 24 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Commence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commence. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.

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