commenced

verb

past tense of commence
1
as in began
to take the first step in (a process or course of action) commence the festivities

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in started
to come into existence the games commenced early in the morning

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 commenced On Thursday, the star and producer revealed that production has commenced on Fast Forever, which is set for a March 17, 2028 premiere, the 11th and final chapter in the $7 billion action franchise that launched with 2001’s The Fast and the Furious. — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 4 July 2026 Carlson, whose rights Anaheim traded to Carolina four days before the free agent signing period commenced, joins a defense corps that includes Victor Hedman, who is one year younger and has played five more career regular season games. — Tom Layberger, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026 Early-stage discussions of regulation have also commenced in Brazil, Canada, China, Ecuador, Ghana, India, Peru, Norway, the United Kingdom and the remainder of the European Union. — Jennifer Bringle, Footwear News, 29 June 2026 Before the Oranje Fanwalk commenced Thursday, the Netherlands packed the Power & Light for food and some beverages. — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 26 June 2026 Years later, on May 24, 2011, Casey's trial commenced in Orlando. — Kelsie Gibson, PEOPLE, 16 June 2026 Bystanders pulled her from the water and commenced first aid on the beach before paramedics arrived, the statement said. — ABC News, 13 June 2026 In the 20th century, Germany and Japan had just invaded Poland and China and commenced expanding their territory while eliminating the resident populations. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 12 June 2026 As graduations commenced and the last day of school rolled around, families celebrated by indulging in a good meal at some popular Fort Worth restaurants. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commenced
  1. began
  2. started
  3. launched
  4. originated
  5. opened
  6. arose
  7. appeared
  8. was
Verb
  • The seventh began with Denzer Guzman reaching on catcher’s interference.
    — Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 10 July 2026
  • The work stoppage at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and MGB Home Care sites began Wednesday, when Massachusetts Nurses Association members voted to strike after months of contract negotiations failed.
    — Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 10 July 2026
Definition of began
Verb
  • The larger Lilac fire, which started about three miles to the south, was reported about 20 minutes later.
    — Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2026
  • Tovi Murru doesn’t remember exactly when his family started using firewood to cook.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 July 2026
Definition of started
Verb
  • Khamenei was killed along with several members of his family in an airstrike as the US and Israel launched their war with Iran on February 28.
    — Xiaoqian Lin, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • Legend shares a staggering scale with its two sister ships – Icon of the Seas launched in 2024, and Star of the Seas last year – but features a number of new and reimagined venues and activities.
    — Nathan Diller, USA Today, 6 July 2026
Definition of launched
Verb
  • The brushfire originated near Ladera Ranch’s Narrow Canyon Road and Acaster Way on Tuesday afternoon and spread across seven acres before firefighters were able to get it under control.
    — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
  • The construction company has denied responsibility, saying the landslide originated far above the work site, the news agency said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 July 2026
Definition of originated
Verb
  • The 270,000-square-foot building opened in 2023 with computerized saws and equipment imported from Germany.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
  • Throughout its lifespan, the station has served as a test bed for scientific research in microgravity and has in years past opened itself up to private commercial missions.
    — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 7 July 2026
Definition of opened
Verb
  • The controversial issue that arose on July 8 surrounded a police interview with Robinson’s roommate and romantic partner, Lance Twiggs.
    — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 9 July 2026
  • The eviction crisis arose when federal officials announced last year that the $5-billion emergency voucher program approved by Congress in 2021 was running out of funds at the end of 2026.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
Definition of arose
Verb
  • Khamenei’s son and successor Mojtaba has still not appeared publicly since his father’s killing.
    — Xiaoqian Lin, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • As the order to evacuate was played over loudspeakers on the National Mall, some people appeared to be standing in place, talking with those around them and not exiting the area, while others were walking toward exits.
    — Steven Sloan, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
Definition of appeared
Verb
  • There was a casual feel in Memorial Auditorium in the hour before game time, as children kicked a ball around on the auditorium’s sloping floor.
    — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 7 July 2026
  • There was the majestic no-doubter that landed more than halfway up the left-field bleachers, a majestic blast that evoked memories of Andrés Galarraga.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 7 July 2026
Definition of was

Browse Nearby Words

commence
commenced
commencement
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Commenced.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commenced. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on commenced

Nglish: Translation of commenced for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of fulcrum

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All