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

The difference is that this year’s team is without Garrett and ushering in a new defensive coordinator. — Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Ruling ushers in new law The legal landscape could change again next school year. — Kate Perez, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2026

The girls of Katseye, Rihanna, Regina King, Mindy Kaling and Angela Bassett have all worn either leopard or snakeskin shoes as of late, ushering in the fall season. — Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 7 Sep. 2026

Wall Street veteran Ed Yardeni has dismissed warnings of an imminent debt crisis and instead thinks yields are just going back to normal, before the Great Financial Crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic ushered in a era of ultra-low rates. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1