Synonyms of began

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

• commenced
• started
• opened
• launched
• created
• fell (to)
• initiated
• set about
• entered (into or upon)
• embarked (on or upon)
• struck (into)
• got to
• got off
• got going
• established
• organized
• led off
• adopted
• originated
• generated
• founded
• invented
• kicked off
• inaugurated
• instituted
• pioneered
• spawned
• innovated
• took up
• took on
• embraced
• fathered
• set up
• got down (to)
• got around (to)
• got round (to)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ended
• concluded
• finished
• stopped
• ceased
• terminated
• completed
• halted
• discontinued
• closed
• quit
• laid off
• left
• abandoned
• desisted
• destroyed
• abolished
• knocked off
• extinguished
• demolished
• forsook
• exterminated
• phased out

2

as in started

to come into existence

the storm began late in the day and lasted all night

Synonyms & Similar Words

• started
• commenced
• originated
• arose
• appeared
• was
• formed
• emerged
• arrived
• sprang
• dawned
• set in
• materialized
• existed
• engendered
• lived
• broke
• continued
• actualized
• lasted
• breathed
• persisted
• came on
• subsisted
• survived
• endured
• coalesced
• shaped (up)
• cohered

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• stopped
• ended
• ceased
• concluded
• finished
• halted
• terminated
• discontinued
• disappeared
• quit
• died
• vanished
• dissolved
• evaporated
• desisted
• departed
• expired
• perished
• passed away

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

• founded
• established
• initiated
• pioneered
• introduced
• launched
• created
• started
• instituted
• inaugurated
• planted
• constituted
• originated
• constructed
• organized
• developed
• innovated
• invented
• set up
• devised
• authored
• produced
• conceived
• manufactured
• thought (up)
• made up
• expanded
• concocted
• funded
• cooked (up)
• contrived
• fathered
• enlarged
• financed
• arranged
• endowed
• fabricated
• subsidized
• reinstituted
• reinitiated
• relaunched
• systematized
• systemized
• refounded
• put up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• closed (down)
• shut (up)
• ended
• stopped
• finished
• abolished
• terminated
• halted
• phased out
• annulled
• nullified
• annihilated
• rounded (off or out)
• wrapped up
• wound up

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of began

The journey of the Rubik's Cube began in 1974, when Rubik was teaching design at the Academy of Applied Arts and Design in Budapest. — ABC News, 13 Nov. 2026

Charlotte parents seek answers about mold Sasha Vater, whose son attends Chantilly Montessori, said her concerns began when his teacher unexpectedly left her job just days before classes started in August. — Charlotte Observer, 13 Nov. 2026

The downfall of his predecessor, longtime Democratic Speaker Michael Madigan, began with women angered by his handling of #MeToo incidents involving his campaign and government staff in 2017 and 2018. — Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 13 Nov. 2026

All movement ceased afterward, and a physician pronounced him dead 21 minutes after the injection began. — CBS News, 13 Nov. 2026

Back in 2023, Ashley began his career at Georgia Tech playing out of position as a linebacker and defensive end. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Nov. 2026

According to a statement, Work on MALET began in 2024 after specialists at the Armaments Center’s Fuze and Mortar Divisions identified an opportunity to adapt existing ammunition for unmanned aircraft. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2026

Getting into the hospitality game began modestly in 1988 with a resort hotel in Watamu on the Kenyan coast, followed by Ol Seki in the Mara, before Evans set his sights on Nairobi. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Nov. 2026

About a minute later, Guardado began breathing heavily, followed by some sputtering and twitching. — Kim Chandler, Arkansas Online, 6 Nov. 2026