as in start
the point at which something begins
the actual beginning of the universe is still under debate, with some scientists continuing to uphold the big bang theory
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in preparatory
coming before the main part or item usually to introduce or prepare for what follows
the beginning part of the book is a portrait of Europe on the eve of the World War I
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in introductory
of or relating to the simplest facts or theories of a subject
a course in beginning geology for nonscience majors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in commencing
to take the first step in (a process or course of action)
she began walking to work for exercise
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in starting
to come into existence
the storm began late in the day and lasted all night
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in founding
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
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 beginning
Ginger Crichton, Midwest Living, 9 Jan. 2026
Janelle Monáe’s viral 2025 Met Gala look, created by Tazewell in collaboration with designer Thom Browne, anchors the space, but a photo of Tazewell as a junior in high school marks the true beginning of his Ozian trajectory.
—Eva Remijan-Toba, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 27 July 2025
At the beginning part of camp, there is installation.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 25 July 2025
Josh Roberts, USA Today, 10 Jan. 2026
That means no teams from a very ballyhooed SEC made the final, despite beginning the year with 10 teams in the AP Top 25.
—American-Statesman Staff, Austin American Statesman, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for beginning
Noun
Because it's refrigerated, the dual-lane track doesn't need snow to operate, and is typically open from late November through the beginning of March.
—Ginger Crichton, Midwest Living, 9 Jan. 2026
Janelle Monáe’s viral 2025 Met Gala look, created by Tazewell in collaboration with designer Thom Browne, anchors the space, but a photo of Tazewell as a junior in high school marks the true beginning of his Ozian trajectory.
—Eva Remijan-Toba, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
Back from holiday after a month away, John Oliver wasted no time in getting down to brass tacks, spending the beginning 10 minutes of Last Week Tonight addressing Donald Trump‘s desperate attempts to redirect national conversation away from the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 27 July 2025
At the beginning part of camp, there is installation.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 25 July 2025
Verb
The company is also debuting A&K × Crystal Cultural Voyages, integrating Abercrombie & Kent tours with Crystal Cruises’ luxury ships, beginning with a Mediterranean sailing in August 2026.
—Josh Roberts, USA Today, 10 Jan. 2026
That means no teams from a very ballyhooed SEC made the final, despite beginning the year with 10 teams in the AP Top 25.
—American-Statesman Staff, Austin American Statesman, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for beginning
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beginning
Noun
-
The system adapts to tone and intent without forcing app switching or blank-page starts.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Multiple King of Fire, which got its start as a food truck and expanded to a permanent space in uptown Charlotte, plans to open a 3,484-square-foot space at CrossRidge Center across the border in Indian Land, South Carolina.—
Heidi Finley,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Pacific Ridge School, an independent, co-ed, college preparatory day school in Carlsbad, started its 19th academic year with the Annual Trustee Dinner.—
News Release,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Those preparatory projects included the installation of new capping roofs to weatherproof the buildings for a long period of care and maintenance, as well as the rerouting of electrical supplies and de-planting of boiler equipment.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Episodes are bound together by banal introductory voiceover, in which our narrator recites ominous clichés that, like everything in His & Hers, border on parody.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Jan. 2026
-
So, with the support of the school for developing an introductory class on archaeology, Harris-Thacker developed one.—
Helen I. Bennett,
Hartford Courant,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
None of the arrests of the four individual plaintiffs in this case, on the other hand, were made in immediate anticipation of commencing removal proceedings, much less executing a final order of removal.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
2 Dec. 2025
-
Rollins humorously acknowledged his need to change his current diet before commencing the intensive physical preparations for his comeback.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
So commences a night of harrowing encounters and trauma both physical and mental, starting with Ron and Mike’s trip to meet Oliver at a bar after one of his shows.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Place water and rum in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave on HIGH until starting to bubble, about 1 minute.—
Amanda Holstein,
Southern Living,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
After recovering from the shooting, Giffords has become an advocate for gun control – founding an eponymous organization to advance the cause.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The OpenSnow reporting and forecasting service is predicting four to eight additional inches at many resorts between Wednesday evening and Friday morning, although founding meteorologist Joel Gratz acknowledged that the weather models for this system have been a bit confounding.—
John Meyer,
Denver Post,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Factors That Have Affected the Concept Since the work triangle’s inception, the kitchen has changed, leading to numerous factors that have advanced the work triangle, too.—
Kristina McGuirk,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Since their inception, social media companies have implemented protective measures for users such as filtering bullying comments and enabling minors to opt out of seeing personalized ads.—
Gili Malinsky,
CNBC,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Ultimately, the appeals court affirmed the district court’s grant of a preliminary injunction to Hecox, but vacated the injunction applied to the rest of the state.—
Becca Savransky,
Idaho Statesman,
10 Jan. 2026
-
He’s scheduled to have a preliminary hearing on Monday.—
Jon Haworth,
ABC News,
10 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Beginning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beginning. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share