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Synonym Chooser

How is the word begin different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of begin are commence, inaugurate, initiate, start, and usher in. While all these words mean "to take the first step in a course, process, or operation," begin, start, and commence are often interchangeable, with begin, opposed to end, being the most general.

begin a trip
began dancing

How is commence related to other words for begin?

Commence can be more formal or bookish than begin or start.

commence firing
commenced a conversation

When could inaugurate be used to replace begin?

The words inaugurate and begin are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, inaugurate suggests a beginning of some formality or notion of significance.

the discovery of penicillin inaugurated a new era in medicine

When would initiate be a good substitute for begin?

While the synonyms initiate and begin are close in meaning, initiate implies taking a first step in a process or series that is to continue.

initiated diplomatic contacts

Where would start be a reasonable alternative to begin?

The synonyms start and begin are sometimes interchangeable, but start, opposed to stop, applies especially to first actions, steps, or stages.

the work started slowly

How are the words usher in and inaugurate related as synonyms of begin?

Usher in is somewhat less weighty than inaugurate.

ushered in a period of economic decline

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 begin Cunha himself took six months before beginning to thrive in the league, as did Gomes and midfield partner Andre. Steve Madeley, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2025 Weather forecasters predict temperatures may begin dropping from Tuesday, potentially providing firefighters with more favorable conditions. Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025 Written by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, who is penning the next James Bond movie, Set in 19th-century Dublin and New York, the story begins immediately after the death of Sir Benjamin Guinness, the man responsible for the extraordinary success of the Guinness brewery. Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 18 Aug. 2025 After a two-year spike during the pandemic and national outrage over police accountability, Chicago began to see a decline in homicides in 2022. Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for begin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for begin
Verb
  • Pre-orders of the album appeared on Taylor Swift’s website as soon as the time commenced.
    StyleCaster Editors, StyleCaster, 13 Aug. 2025
  • What Happens Next If approved, the first phase of the project, which costs $55 billion, will commence in the next few years.
    Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • With Scheffler injured to start the season, McIlroy came out of the gates this season guns a blazing.
    Mike Fore, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
  • When big brands start calling One of the first major brands to come knocking wanted something bold for a new campaign—a way for fans to see themselves inside the action instantly.
    Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The Joan Mitchell Foundation was established following the death of the great American abstract painter (1925-1992) bearing its name, fulfilling her wish to provide resources and opportunities for visual artists.
    Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025
  • Now both are established veterans playing on lucrative second contracts.
    Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 16 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Others will open sometime in August, while some are simply listed as coming soon.
    Reia Li, AZCentral.com, 13 Aug. 2025
  • Gather made its Bay View debut Aug. 12 and will be opening in the Falls Aug. 13.
    Hannah Kirby, jsonline.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Much of Evie’s new understanding, of herself and of her environment, originates from those around her, especially her new boyfriend.
    Lora Kelley, New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2025
  • These routes originated at a facility on one side of an Interstate and made deliveries to larger clinics located only a couple of hundred yards away on the other side of an interstate.
    Steve Banker, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District initiated the overflow at 9:55 p.m. on Aug. 9.
    Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 15 Aug. 2025
  • Susquehanna initiates Parker-Hannifin as positive The firm said shares have plenty more room to run.
    Michael Bloom, CNBC, 15 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • That indemnification agreement, stipulating the SBC Executive Committee is on the hook for Guidepost’s legal expenses arising from the firm’s May 2022 report, also applies to a second high-profile defamation lawsuit against the SBC from former seminary professor David Sills.
    Liam Adams, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
  • But even as science was finally making inroads against Covid, a second problem arose, a phenomenon the World Health Organization identified as an infodemic—the flood of information, much of it false, that occurs during a disease outbreak.
    Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Chef Joseph Rawlins, who founded and runs La Popote with his French partner Gaëlle Radigon, said they had initially been approached about the idea by Doran Binder, who was already supplying the restaurant with their ‘house’ water under his Crag Spring Water brand.
    Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2025
  • Tegna also owns Locked On Podcast Network, which was founded by Utah Jazz radio play-by-play announcer David Locke.
    Jason Clinkscales, Sportico.com, 19 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Begin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/begin. Accessed 23 Aug. 2025.

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