1
as in to commence
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 to start
to come into existence
the storm began late in the day and lasted all night
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to establish
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
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Recent Examples of begin
While celebrities sit in hair and makeup for hours the day of the Met Gala, in many cases skin care prep begins months before.
—
Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 27 Apr. 2026
The pageantry began Monday amid heightened security concerns and a growing rift over the Iran war.
—Michael Birnbaum, Washington Post, 27 Apr. 2026
By some measures, soft nationalization has already begun.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
Hampshire College's website says employees began to find out last week about their job status.
—Neal Riley, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for begin
Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 27 Apr. 2026
The pageantry began Monday amid heightened security concerns and a growing rift over the Iran war.
—Michael Birnbaum, Washington Post, 27 Apr. 2026
By some measures, soft nationalization has already begun.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
Hampshire College's website says employees began to find out last week about their job status.
—Neal Riley, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for begin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for begin
Verb
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Another round of layoffs commenced in March and affected hundreds of employees working in a variety of units, including Facebook, Reality Labs, global operations and sales.—
Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
23 Apr. 2026
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Installation activities have officially commenced for newcleo’s PRECURSOR facility at the ENEA-Brasimone Research Centre.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Carolyn Hax started her Washington Post advice column in 1997, after five years on the Style desk and none as a therapist.—
Carolyn Hax,
Washington Post,
15 May 2026
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That process started with those trades and continued into free agency, when Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn prioritized veteran players to help guide a young roster.—
Zack Rosenblatt,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Finally, in overcoming this vexing moment, the two would establish a painterly repartee that altered the trajectory of their own work and, by extension, modern art.—
Susan Tallman,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
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Through this exhibition program, which shed a light on a generation of LA artists, The Box quickly established itself as a venturesome gallery and one of the most important in the city.—
Maximilíano Durón,
ARTnews.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Ruben, never book-smart, is aggrieved by the doors that open for Niall as a result of his academic achievements.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
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Artturi Lehkonen deposited a goal and assisted on another by Cale Makar after Gabriel Landeskog opened the scoring and before Brock Nelson added an empty-netter for Colorado.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The premise remains intact from the series, following Alex Brightman and Sara Chase as Josh Skinner and Melissa Gimble, a modern couple (originated onscreen by Keegan-Michael Key and Cecily Strong) who stumble into a magical town where life unfolds entirely in song.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
21 Apr. 2026
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Macy originated roles in such iconic Mamet plays as American Buffalo and Oleanna.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In August last year, The Athletic revealed the new redevelopment proposals after the first plans, initiated by Villa’s then chief executive Christian Purslow in April 2022, were shelved despite securing planning permission in the December of that year.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
22 Apr. 2026
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The bank initiated research coverage of the location-sharing, family safety app with a buy rating, and a 12-month price target of $60 price target, implying 32% upside from Tuesday’s close.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But as the ball swung around the perimeter, opportunities arose for the likes of Dosunmu and McDaniels to crack the paint off the bounce.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
24 Apr. 2026
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The question of what a child finds relevant or irrelevant also arose in my conversation with Sinha, of Google for Education.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Carter also co-founded a non-profit in his community called The Local Voice, which aided women fighting breast cancer.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
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The story of the site, which was subsequently bought by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp in 2005, is told in MySpace, a documentary directed by Tommy Avallone and produced by Gunpowder & Sky, the company founded by former MTV boss Van Toffler.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Begin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/begin. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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