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

Stress, illness, and big changes like those ushered in during the holidays can exacerbate the situation. —Melissa Willets, Parents, 7 Dec. 2025

In the sweet video, Bailee can be seen ushering in Bunnie, who wears a long dress, and Jelly Roll, born Jason DeFord, into a large event space. —Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 4 Dec. 2025

Cloud 9 also ushers in Moroney’s pink era, with the album’s cover swathed in candy-pink hues. —Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 4 Dec. 2025

But the imports unwittingly ushered in a pandemic. —Evan Bush, NBC news, 4 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1