usher in

verb

ushered in; ushering in; ushers in

transitive verb

1

: to serve to bring into being

a discovery that ushered in a period of change

2

: to mark or observe the beginning of

ushered in the new year with merrymaking

Choose the Right Synonym for usher in

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 usher in in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

After a campaign season filled with outrage against data centers, the midterm elections ushered in a wave of Democrats pledging to clamp down on the energy-hungry behemoths. — Marc Levy, Chicago Tribune, 6 Nov. 2026

After a campaign season filled with outrage against artificial intelligence data centers, the midterm elections ushered in a wave of Democrats pledging to clamp down on the energy-hungry behemoths. — Marc Levy, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026

The midterm elections ushered in Democratic majorities in both the House and Senate for the next two years, along with state-level gains that could shake up oversight of artificial intelligence (AI). — Staff, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2026

The Democrats have flipped the House and the Senate, which could usher in a new era of funding at the Smithsonian—or, at the very least, a vibe shift in DC. — Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 6 Nov. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1