start

1 of 3

verb

ˈstärt 

started; starting; starts

intransitive verb

1

a

: to move suddenly and violently : spring

started angrily to his feet

b

: to react with a sudden brief involuntary movement

started when a shot rang out

2

a

: to issue with sudden force

blood starting from the wound

b

: to come into being, activity, or operation

when does the movie start

the rain started up again

3

: to protrude or seem to protrude

eyes starting from their sockets

4

: to become loosened or forced out of place

one of the planks has started

5

a

: to begin a course or journey

started toward the door

just starting out

b

: to range from a specified initial point

the rates start at $10

6

: to begin an activity or undertaking

especially : to begin work

7

: to be a participant in a game or contest

especially : to be in the starting lineup

transitive verb

1

: to cause to leave a place of concealment : flush

start a rabbit

2

archaic : startle, alarm

3

: to bring up for consideration or discussion

4

: to bring into being

start a rumor

5

: to cause to become loosened or displaced

6

: to begin the use of

start a fresh loaf of bread

7

a

: to cause to move, act, or operate

start the motor

b

: to cause to enter a game or contest

especially : to put in the starting lineup

c

: to care for or train during the early stages of growth and development

started plants

a well-started coonhound

8

: to do or experience the first stages or actions of

started studying music at the age of five

start

2 of 3

noun

1

a

: a sudden involuntary bodily movement or reaction

woke with a start

b

: a brief and sudden action or movement

c

: a sudden capricious impulse or outburst

2

: a beginning of movement, activity, or development

a false start

housing starts

3

: head start

4

: a place of beginning

5

: the act or an instance of being a competitor in a race or a member of a starting lineup in a game

undefeated in six starts

—Current Biography

START

3 of 3

abbreviation

ˈstärt 

strategic arms reduction talks

Phrases

start something or less commonly start anything

: to make trouble

always trying to start something

don't start anything

to start with

1

: at the beginning : initially

2

: in any event

Synonyms

Verb

• bolt
• jump
• startle

Noun

• alpha
• baseline
• beginning
• birth
• commencement
• dawn
• day one
• genesis
• get-go
• git-go
• inception
• incipience
• incipiency
• kickoff
• launch
• morning
• nascence
• nascency
• onset
• outset
• threshold

Choose the Right Synonym for start

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 start in a Sentence

Verb

They started clearing land for the new housing development.

He started studying music at the age of five.

As soon as you're ready to play, we'll start.

Let's start with some warm-up exercises.

He deleted what he wrote and started fresh.

Olympic athletes start young and train hard.

I started the quilt last month.

Have you started your book report?

We started the meeting at 6:30.

She started the meeting with a brief review of the previous meeting.

Noun

knew from the start of the game that he would win easily

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Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Everything starts with staff and the tools they are provided with. —Sergey Kozhevnikov, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023

Fanned by a steady stream of content, the song started climbing the charts. —Mike Wass, Variety, 28 Nov. 2023

Owen was arrested on a murder charge and has a trial starting this week. —CBS News, 28 Nov. 2023

Ramaswamy has held the most events of any candidate in the GOP presidential primary since NBC News started tracking events in May. —Mark Murray, NBC News, 28 Nov. 2023

Work from the Front to the Back For a simple cutting technique, Taylor recommends starting with the front pieces of your hair, going curl by curl and only cutting off the dead ends. —Akili King, Vogue, 28 Nov. 2023

But, when a few people started leaving comments, Ventura invited some to speak live. —Jacob Sweet, The New Yorker, 28 Nov. 2023

The track, released Nov. 17 on Truth or Dare Records, starts at No. 1 on Country Digital Song Sales and No. 9 on the all-genre Digital Song Sales chart with 4,000 sold. —Xander Zellner, Billboard, 28 Nov. 2023

Then Siskel started delivering brief movie reviews on a local station. —Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 17 Nov. 2023

Noun

Despite what seemed like a promising professional start, Mr. Munger’s personal life was traumatic. —Paul Glader, Washington Post, 28 Nov. 2023

So far, the holiday shopping season is off to a positive start. —Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 28 Nov. 2023

From back of the pack to fourth place this year Brown credited his entire management team for quickly responding to their poor start at the beginning of the year when their cars were anything but competitive. —Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 27 Nov. 2023

Beyoncé handled the production with precision and care, spending a painstaking four years putting together the aural spectacular and battling a knee injury that required surgery in the run-up to the tour’s start. —Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 27 Nov. 2023

Showing few weaknesses and lots of strengths; 3 4. MATER DEI (2-0); Blake Davidson is off to good start; 5 5. CORONA CENTENNIAL (2-2); Close loss to De La Salle; 4 6. —Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 26 Nov. 2023

Black Friday beauty deals 2023, which offer a dizzying start to the holiday shopping season. —Jenny Berg, Vogue, 24 Nov. 2023

In his first career start last season, Brock Purdy led San Francisco to a 35-7 thumping of Tampa Bay. —Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2023

After refusing to allow fuel into Gaza since the war's start, saying it would be diverted to Hamas, Israeli defense officials early Wednesday let in some 6,340 gallons. —Najib Jobain, arkansasonline.com, 16 Nov. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English sterten; akin to Middle High German sterzen to stand up stiffly, move quickly

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing start

• a slow start
• get/start off on the wrong foot
• get/start off on the right foot
• get off to a good/bad start
• get/make an early start
• get/have/make a late start
• get/set/start the ball rolling
• make a start
• make a fresh/new start
• head start
• kick-start
• got off to a slow start
• jump-start
• give a start
• start anything
• start a family
• start from scratch
• shotgun start
• set/start a (new) trend
• start over
• start-up
• the start
• start out
• false start
• start in
• for a start
• start in on
• start on
• start off
• flying start
• from start to finish
• start on at
• start something
• running start
• to start with

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• a slow start
• get/start off on the wrong foot
• get/start off on the right foot
• get off to a good/bad start
• get/make an early start
• get/have/make a late start
• get/set/start the ball rolling
• make a start
• make a fresh/new start
• head start
• kick-start
• got off to a slow start
• jump-start
• give a start
• start anything
• start a family
• start from scratch
• shotgun start
• set/start a (new) trend
• start over
• start-up
• the start
• start out
• false start
• start in
• for a start
• start in on
• start on
• start off
• flying start
• from start to finish
• start on at
• start something
• running start
• to start with

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Kids Definition

start

1 of 2 verb

ˈstärt 

1

: to move suddenly and sharply : give a sudden twitch or jerk (as in surprise)

2

: to come or bring into being, activity, or operation

who started the rumor

started a camp for youngsters

fire started in the cellar

the game started late

3

: to stick out or seem to stick out : protrude

eyes that started from their sockets

4

: set out sense 2, begin

start to school

5

: to take part or cause to take part in a game or contest

6

: to cause to move, act, or operate

start the motor

start

2 of 2 noun

1

a

: a quick unwilled bodily reaction

b

: a brief and sudden action or movement

2

: a beginning of movement, activity, or development

get an early start

3

: a lead or advantage at the beginning of a race or competition : head start

4

: a place of beginning