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begin

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of begin

1 to take the first step in (a process or course of action)
  • she began walking to work for exercise
Synonyms of begin

commence, embark (on or upon), enter (into or upon), fall (to), get off, kick off, launch, lead off, open, start, strike (into)
Words Related to begin

create, generate, inaugurate, initiate, innovate, invent, originate

adopt, embrace, take on, take up

establish, father, found, institute, organize, pioneer, set up, spawn

get around (to), get down (to), get round (to)
Phrases Synonymous with begin

get going, get to, set about
Near Antonyms of begin

cease, desist, discontinue, halt, knock off, lay off, quit, stop

close, complete

abandon, forsake, leave

abolish, demolish, destroy, exterminate, extinguish, phase out
Antonyms of begin

conclude, end, finish, terminate
2 to come into existence
  • the storm began late in the day and lasted all night
Synonyms of begin

actualize, appear, arise, break, commence, dawn, engender, form, materialize, originate, set in, spring, start
Words Related to begin

be, breathe, exist, live, subsist

arrive, come on, emerge

coalesce, cohere, shape (up)

continue, endure, last, persist, survive
Near Antonyms of begin

conclude, desist, discontinue, finish, halt, quit, terminate

disappear, dissolve, evaporate, vanish

depart, die, expire, pass away, perish
Antonyms of begin

cease, end, stop
3 to be responsible for the creation and early operation or use of
  • the religious sect was begun by a small breakaway faction
Synonyms of begin

constitute, establish, found, inaugurate, initiate, innovate, institute, introduce, launch, pioneer, plant, set up, start
Words Related to begin

author, father, originate

conceive, concoct, contrive, cook (up), create, devise, fabricate, invent, make up, manufacture, produce, think (up)

construct, put up

develop, enlarge, expand

endow, finance, fund, subsidize

arrange, organize, systematize, systemize

refound, reinitiate, reinstitute, relaunch
Near Antonyms of begin

abolish, annihilate, annul, nullify

end, finish, halt, stop, terminate

round (off or out), wind up, wrap up
Antonyms of begin

close (down), phase out, shut (up)

Synonym Discussion of begin

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

Learn More about begin

  1. See words that rhyme with begin Dictionary: Definition of begin Spanish Central: Translation of begin Nglish: Translation of begin for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of begin for Arabic speakers

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