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 latest push to end the practice began in June after an 18-year-old Indian tourist, Romanch Mahajan, died after jumping from a runaway carriage. — Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026

Trump’s push to rename geographic landmarks began on his first day back in office. — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026

The Ebola outbreak that began in DR Congo is becoming a continental crisis after authorities initially underestimated its spread, the head of Africa’s public health agency told Semafor as new cases were reported as far afield as Nigeria. — Ruben Nyanguila, semafor.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Early voting in Lake County began Monday and continues through Oct 31. — James Wilkins, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026

Then LaundRe began to host classes and started to see traction. — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026

Knight said the First Baptist Church roots began in the mid-18th century, and the current building was constructed in 1846. — Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 22 Oct. 2026

Production began with breeches and breech blocks in May 2026. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 22 Oct. 2026

The calculations behind Venezuela's claim of more than 303 billion reserve barrels began over a decade ago. — ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026