as in start
the point at which something begins
the actual beginning of the universe is still under debate, with some scientists continuing to uphold the big bang theory
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in preparatory
coming before the main part or item usually to introduce or prepare for what follows
the beginning part of the book is a portrait of Europe on the eve of the World War I
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in introductory
of or relating to the simplest facts or theories of a subject
a course in beginning geology for nonscience majors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in commencing
to take the first step in (a process or course of action)
she began walking to work for exercise
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in starting
to come into existence
the storm began late in the day and lasted all night
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in founding
to be responsible for the creation and early operation or use of
the religious sect was begun by a small breakaway faction
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of beginning
Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 23 Apr. 2025
Griffin, whose hedge fund had more than $65 billion in assets under management at the beginning of 2025, voted for Trump and was a megadonor to Republican politicians.
—Yun Li, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2025
Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2024
But fans had been mourning the loss of the cheeky, friendly kid from the beginning days of the band for years.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2024
Julia Angwin, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2025
The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet.
—Devi Shastri, Chicago Tribune, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for beginning
Noun
Santana currently has Oneness tour stops this month scheduled in Sugar Land, Thackerville, Tulsa, and Nashville before heading to New Orleans at the beginning of May for its annual Jazz Festival.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 23 Apr. 2025
Griffin, whose hedge fund had more than $65 billion in assets under management at the beginning of 2025, voted for Trump and was a megadonor to Republican politicians.
—Yun Li, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
Three ounces of seed will cover 400 square feet, a nice start to a beginning habitat garden.
—Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2024
But fans had been mourning the loss of the cheeky, friendly kid from the beginning days of the band for years.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2024
Verb
In the United States, many of the referees are beginning to fall in line.
—Julia Angwin, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2025
The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet.
—Devi Shastri, Chicago Tribune, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for beginning
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beginning
Noun
-
That was Monday, the day Blewett joined his third major-league team in a two-week span, and one day before the 6-foot-6 right-hander was thrust into the first start of his MLB career.—
David O'Brien,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2025
-
But while the Albertsons crew is only just revealing themselves for the first time, discretion was only really a priority at the very start.—
Nate Rogers,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
To qualify for the offer, high school seniors in Riverside County must meet the college preparatory courses (A-G requirements) that both Cal State and the University of California require for admissions.—
Michael T. Nietzel,
Forbes,
2 Nov. 2024
-
The overdraft rule, which the consumer bureau finalized in December after years of preparatory work, was scheduled to take effect in late 2025.—
Stacy Cowley,
New York Times,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The introductory model features an Iceco fridge, Dometic Go water storage and faucet system with removable inset sink basin, cutting board worktop, and dual-burner Cook Partner gas stove that fits atop the drawer.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
21 Apr. 2025
-
Neither party does a better job As any student of introductory statistics learns, correlation doesn’t imply causation.—
Christopher S. Warshaw,
The Conversation,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The New Year is starting with a fresh warning for those who work with animals in Texas.—
Li Cohen,
CBS News,
6 Jan. 2025
-
Murphy is term-limited, so the open-seat contest has attracted a cornucopia of candidates, starting with a crowded field of Democratic aspirants.—
Geoffrey Skelley,
ABC News,
6 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Since founding the lifestyle brand Simplified in 2008, the mother of three has amassed over 30,000 followers on Substack and nearly 300,000 on Instagram.—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Women deserve their own places at the top, and if that means more women are founding companies, the more, the merrier.—
Liz Elting,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
To the extent that such neat inception points exist in real life, an afternoon at an aging movie palace on the corner of Lake Park and Grand Avenues, in central Oakland, California, provided one for the filmmaker Ryan Coogler.—
Jelani Cobb,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2025
-
The brewery had operated at the Ice Blocks since the development’s inception, expanding into an adjacent space in 2022.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Earlier this month, a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction to block DOGE from accessing sensitive personal information held by the SSA.—
Tom Rogers,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Apr. 2025
-
In an ad hoc statement on April 9, the company recognized that the preliminary first-quarter result deviated significantly from analyst expectations of around 4 billion euros.—
Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
That really elementary approach to writing is one of my favorite things.—
Kyle Denis,
Billboard,
23 Apr. 2025
-
There are no plans to increase the student-teacher ratio at elementary and intermediate schools.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
16 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Beginning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beginning. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share