Choose the Right Synonym for commence

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 commence in a Sentence

Dear God, I thought, I've been infected by an earworm. My friend the Longhair says that's what you call songs that burrow into your head and commence chewing your brains. — Stephen King, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Apr./1 May 2009 He thereupon commenced giving me this fantastically boring lecture about how the only reason I want a stuffed chicken is because they look so good in a shop window, and that the moment I received one I'd start dreaming up ways to ditch it. — Douglas Coupland, Generation X, 1991 The policy would commence not only with the limiting of permits for the building of hotels and boats but with supervision—through expert architectural advice—of the construction of these boats and hotels … — William Styron, This Quiet Dust and Other Writings, (1953) 1982 "Why shoot, I thought you wanted to be a lawyer, you've already commenced going to court." The ladies laughed again. — Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, 1960 I have commenced two letters to send you before this, both of which displeased me before I got half done, and so I tore them up. — Abraham Lincoln, letter, 4 May 1837 The festivities will commence with a parade. Their contract commences in January. The court commenced criminal proceedings. The country has commenced preparations for war.

Recent Examples on the Web According to a statement by EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides earlier this week, the swift approval should mean deliveries from the Halix site can commence this month. — David Meyer, Fortune, "Key AstraZeneca plant gets all-clear to start shipping COVID vaccines—but to where?," 26 Mar. 2021 Since then, the organizations have completed due diligence and design phases, and are ready to commence with integration, Matsui said. — Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Balboa Park shakeup: Two nonprofits to become one city partner," 25 Mar. 2021 Less than a year later, before any packing could commence, the Supreme Court reversed its position and upheld the legality of the minimum wage. — Adam Davidson, The New Yorker, "The Stimulus Is Only the Start," 11 Mar. 2021 The Senate is convening Tuesday to commence with the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, the first Senate trial of a former president in U.S. history. — Kathryn Watson, Melissa Quinn, CBS News, "Live Updates: Trump impeachment trial set to get underway in Senate," 9 Feb. 2021 The ban, which will only apply to nonresident foreign nationals, will commence on Monday and extend through the month of January, the government said on Saturday, according to Reuters. — Mike Brest, Washington Examiner, "Japan bans foreign travelers after spread of second COVID-19 strain," 26 Dec. 2020 The Spurs’ latest postseason push will commence without him. — Jeff Mcdonald, San Antonio Express-News, "Spurs, LaMarcus Aldridge mutually decide to part ways," 10 Mar. 2021 Egypt plans to buy 40 million doses of the Sinopharm vaccine, has already received 50,000 doses of the vaccine in December, and expecting another 50,000 in the second or third week of this month when vaccination will commence. — Uwagbale Edward-ekpu, Quartz Africa, "African countries are turning to Russia, India, and China for Covid vaccines despite skepticism," 9 Jan. 2021 The new league year – meaning free agency – doesn't commence until March 17, but one major (agreed upon) trade and a prominent retirement have already set the dominoes in motion. — Nate Davis, USA TODAY, "Opinion: Record-setting quarterback turnover a strong possibility for 2021 NFL season," 18 Feb. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'commence.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.