began

verb

past tense of begin
1
as in commenced
to take the first step in (a process or course of action) she began walking to work for exercise

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in started
to come into existence the storm began late in the day and lasted all night

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in founded
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 began The seventh began with Denzer Guzman reaching on catcher’s interference. — Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 10 July 2026 The work stoppage at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and MGB Home Care sites began Wednesday, when Massachusetts Nurses Association members voted to strike after months of contract negotiations failed. — Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 10 July 2026 Fliers began to appear outside Vietnamese restaurants and shops in the San Fernando Valley, Ma said. — Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026 But Kivlen, who grew up on Long Island, began to feel jaded with the city as his twenties drew to an end. — Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 9 July 2026 The inning began with a walk to Jarren Duran, who advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a single by Tsung-Che Cheng. — Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026 Cumberland Farms, a major chain of gas stations and convenience stores, recently filed to become a public company, and Costco recently began to launch standalone gas stations. — Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 9 July 2026 The encounter began when Todd and Elvia Malcolm spotted a female moose near the edge of the woods in Telos Township, Maine, and pulled over hoping to snap a photo. — Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026 Winners of the Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest have eaten a total of 2,541 famous franks, give or take a few, since the contest began in 1982. — Jennifer Borresen, USA Today, 3 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for began
  1. commenced
  2. started
  3. founded
  4. opened
  5. originated
  6. established
  7. launched
  8. arose
Verb
  • Jockeying has already commenced in the state for the person who might take up the mantle of Senate Democratic nominee, including among those who didn't secure the gubernatorial nomination.
    — Barbara Sprunt, NPR, 8 July 2026
  • On Thursday, the star and producer revealed that production has commenced on Fast Forever, which is set for a March 17, 2028 premiere, the 11th and final chapter in the $7 billion action franchise that launched with 2001’s The Fast and the Furious.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 4 July 2026
Definition of commenced
Verb
  • Lanageliers started the game at catcher and hit third in the lineup while the American League won a largely uneventful affair, 4-0, at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Phillies.
    — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026
  • What started as a campaign to diminish Iran’s nuclear capabilities and weaken its global terror networks has morphed into a dispute over control of one of the world’s most important trade routes.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
Definition of started
Verb
  • Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips.
    — Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 10 July 2026
  • Nguyen founded Vintage Modern, formerly known as Vintage Broncos, to wrap classic car veneers around the latest vehicle undercarriages.
    — Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of founded
Verb
  • The complex is owned by a real estate investment trust, Highlands REIT, and was opened in the 2000s.
    — Alan Gionet, CBS News, 14 July 2026
  • This was Charlesbank, which opened in 1891 and was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted as a satellite to his Emerald Necklace chain of parks in Boston and Brookline.
    — Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 13 July 2026
Definition of opened
Verb
  • The brushfire originated near Ladera Ranch’s Narrow Canyon Road and Acaster Way on Tuesday afternoon and spread across seven acres before firefighters were able to get it under control.
    — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
  • The construction company has denied responsibility, saying the landslide originated far above the work site, the news agency said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 July 2026
Definition of originated
Verb
  • Timothée Chalamet, who has established a penchant for outré themed courtside outfits to cheer on his beloved New York Knicks, transferred his spirit to root for his other team France.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 15 July 2026
  • That firm was established in 2024 by Cody Kittle, who previously worked as a portfolio manager at Elliott Investment Management, the activist investor, and is itself backed by Sequoia Heritage.
    — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 15 July 2026
Definition of established
Verb
  • Khamenei was killed along with several members of his family in an airstrike as the US and Israel launched their war with Iran on February 28.
    — Xiaoqian Lin, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • Legend shares a staggering scale with its two sister ships – Icon of the Seas launched in 2024, and Star of the Seas last year – but features a number of new and reimagined venues and activities.
    — Nathan Diller, USA Today, 6 July 2026
Definition of launched
Verb
  • The controversial issue that arose on July 8 surrounded a police interview with Robinson’s roommate and romantic partner, Lance Twiggs.
    — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 9 July 2026
  • The eviction crisis arose when federal officials announced last year that the $5-billion emergency voucher program approved by Congress in 2021 was running out of funds at the end of 2026.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
Definition of arose

Browse Nearby Words

beg
began
beget
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Began.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/began. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on began

Nglish: Translation of began for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of bibelot

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All