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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in started
to come into existence
the storm began late in the day and lasted all night
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of begun
James Powel The program for the Great American State Fair kickoff has begun, with Monica Crowley, chief of protocol of the United States, praising the president's events surrounding America's 250th birthday.
—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
25 June 2026
As expected, the Washington Wizards have begun the 2026 NBA Draft by selecting BYU’s AJ Dybantsa with the first overall pick.
—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
24 June 2026
As Hollywood adapts to the technology — particular corners of the business running towards it, others away — a smattering of creatives have begun to go public with their time in the world of Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF).
—
Katie Kilkenny,
HollywoodReporter,
24 June 2026
Democratic handwringing over New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s sweeping endorsement wins has begun, as House Democrats grapple with what those wins will mean for the party in November.
—
Hailey Bullis,
The Washington Examiner,
24 June 2026
Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences has begun installing the wings on the X-65, an experimental drone developed under DARPA’s Control of Revolutionary Aircraft with Novel Effectors (CRANE) program.
—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
24 June 2026
Outside groups have also begun pouring money into the race.
—
ABC News,
24 June 2026
The first round has ended, and the countdown to your coronation has begun.
—
Candace Buckner,
New York Times,
24 June 2026
But something new has begun to spook investors.
—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
24 June 2026
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
25 June 2026
As expected, the Washington Wizards have begun the 2026 NBA Draft by selecting BYU’s AJ Dybantsa with the first overall pick.
—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
24 June 2026
As Hollywood adapts to the technology — particular corners of the business running towards it, others away — a smattering of creatives have begun to go public with their time in the world of Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF).
—
Katie Kilkenny,
HollywoodReporter,
24 June 2026
Democratic handwringing over New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s sweeping endorsement wins has begun, as House Democrats grapple with what those wins will mean for the party in November.
—
Hailey Bullis,
The Washington Examiner,
24 June 2026
Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences has begun installing the wings on the X-65, an experimental drone developed under DARPA’s Control of Revolutionary Aircraft with Novel Effectors (CRANE) program.
—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
24 June 2026
Outside groups have also begun pouring money into the race.
—
ABC News,
24 June 2026
The first round has ended, and the countdown to your coronation has begun.
—
Candace Buckner,
New York Times,
24 June 2026
But something new has begun to spook investors.
—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
24 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for begun
Verb
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In preparation for the aircraft’s arrival next year, Qantas pilots have commenced training on Australia’s first A350 simulator in Sydney and with British Airways in the UK.
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Years later, on May 24, 2011, Casey's trial commenced in Orlando.
Verb
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Just as nine days of early voting started June 13, Conley became the latest target of attack ads linked to Republicans, who used similar tactics to influence voters in earlier Democratic primaries this year.
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What started as a handful of infested trees in Evergreen, Colorado, has turned into hundreds for landowner Jon Hager.
Verb
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Things to do Menorca’s art scene dates from the 1960s when the Grupo Menorca founded the island’s first contemporary art gallery.
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Clive Davis, the music executive who founded Arista Records and J Records and helped shape the careers of Whitney Houston, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, Carlos Santana, Janis Joplin, Alicia Keys, Carrie Underwood and many others, died on Monday at his home in New York City.
Verb
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Wilde’s 2022 psychological thriller, headlined by Florence Pugh and Harry Styles, descended into tabloid chaos amid rampant speculation over an apparent feud between Pugh and Wilde, plus the romance between Wilde and Styles that allegedly originated during production.
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The Scots have also been spotted topping statues of prominent figures with orange traffic cones -- a tradition that, according to BBC, originated in Glasgow in the '80s when a cone was placed atop the head of the Duke of Wellington statue outside the Gallery of Modern Art.
Verb
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The investment firm initiated research coverage of NANO Nuclear with a buy rating on Wednesday, giving the stock a $45 price target, implying 60% upside from Thursday’s close.
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The staredown initiated a little argy-bargy between the pair as both teams exited the field.
Verb
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Disputes that have already arisen aren’t just about how federal funds should be distributed.
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Issues had reportedly arisen during the production of season 2, which wrapped filming in March, as there was friction between Hardy and Jez Butterworth, MobLand's showrunner, writer and executive producer, per Deadline.
Verb
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Some lawmakers have questioned whether that follow-on strike constituted a war crime.
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In Kansas, more than 500 workers were terminated or took buyouts — a 32% scale-back that constituted the region’s largest USDA staffing reduction.
Verb
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How electric has the atmosphere at Madison Square Garden been during the Finals, especially during and after Game 4’s comeback?
-
Three races in, there’ve been unforeseen winners, unpredicted changes to the schedule and the unanticipated reality of regulation changes dawning.
Cite this Entry
“Begun.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/begun. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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