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

Being in vacation mode also ushers in a more carefree attitude because there’s something magical about summer activities like catching lightning bugs and watching the blazing oranges and pinks of a setting sun dip below the horizon. — Gretchen McKay, Boston Herald, 8 July 2026

The energy price spike ushered in by the Iran war left many Americans off guard as inflation remains persistent and higher costs ding consumer sentiment. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 7 July 2026

But these active, sensitive, and polarizing debates are also at risk of being used as a kind of Trojan horse to usher in different kinds of sweeping changes and rewritings. — Kelsey Ables, The Atlantic, 6 July 2026

Elsewhere, fireworks are scheduled to be set off Saturday over Navy Pier in Chicago and against the skyline of New York City, which also hosted a ball drop at midnight to usher in the holiday with the same fanfare as New Year’s Eve. — Steven Sloan, Chicago Tribune, 4 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1