1
as in began
to take the first step in (a process or course of action)
commence the festivities
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Recent Examples of commenced
The team’s 2026 model car wasn’t in its wind tunnel until mid-April last year, when other teams had commenced such testing in January 2025.
—
Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Gates tells Outdoor Life that Miller’s citizen petition was introduced to the CPW Commission in June, just a day before a furbearer working group commenced to provide recommendations on furbearer harvest.
—Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 5 Mar. 2026
The strait has already been effectively closed since the conflict commenced on Saturday, with shipping companies unwilling to risk vessels in a war zone.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 3 Mar. 2026
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame means something different to everyone, especially now that the annual voting cycle has commenced for its newest class.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 2 Mar. 2026
But then the playoffs commenced, wherein Hiller committed coaching malpractice.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 1 Mar. 2026
Eventually, the fighting commenced with a flurry of slapping, pushing, and grasping; sumo can look like brawling or ballet, a display of brute force or a mastery of martial-arts techniques that share their origins with judo and aikido.
—Joshua Hunt, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
The final full day of the 2025-26 girls wrestling season in San Diego County commenced Saturday with the Masters meet at Eastlake High School.
—Breven Honda, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026
Tied heavily to the moon's phases, the Lunar New Year has commenced this week as adherents usher in the Year of the Horse with a variety of cultural traditions.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 19 Feb. 2026
Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Gates tells Outdoor Life that Miller’s citizen petition was introduced to the CPW Commission in June, just a day before a furbearer working group commenced to provide recommendations on furbearer harvest.
—Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 5 Mar. 2026
The strait has already been effectively closed since the conflict commenced on Saturday, with shipping companies unwilling to risk vessels in a war zone.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 3 Mar. 2026
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame means something different to everyone, especially now that the annual voting cycle has commenced for its newest class.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 2 Mar. 2026
But then the playoffs commenced, wherein Hiller committed coaching malpractice.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 1 Mar. 2026
Eventually, the fighting commenced with a flurry of slapping, pushing, and grasping; sumo can look like brawling or ballet, a display of brute force or a mastery of martial-arts techniques that share their origins with judo and aikido.
—Joshua Hunt, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
The final full day of the 2025-26 girls wrestling season in San Diego County commenced Saturday with the Masters meet at Eastlake High School.
—Breven Honda, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026
Tied heavily to the moon's phases, the Lunar New Year has commenced this week as adherents usher in the Year of the Horse with a variety of cultural traditions.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 19 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commenced
Verb
-
That marked the first such departure order issued by Washington in Saudi Arabia since the war began.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
9 Mar. 2026
-
His win in Istanbul in 2019 represented a crushing blow to Erdogan, whose own political ascent began as the city’s mayor.—
Beril Akman,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Oil prices have surged above $100 a barrel after more major Middle East countries started reducing production, as storage fills up due to the closure of Hormuz.—
Louise Moon,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The shows, once Nick and I started going to them that fall, were something different entirely.—
Andrew Martin,
Vogue,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The husband-wife duo previously launched Under Canvas, the largest glamping company in the US.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Less than three days after Enoch Godongwana presented the budget to lawmakers in the fuel-importing nation, the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Gorman Wettels originated the project through her company Joy Coalition, packaging the project with Eilish and Polley and partnering with Plan B and StudioCanal ahead of Focus boarding.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Last week, Iran’s president had claimed Tehran would stop striking its neighbors unless any attacks on Iran originated from those countries.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Impala Platinum has opened formal talks with Zimbabwe’s central bank and lined up meetings with both the South African and Zimbabwean governments to press for clarity on Harare’s export-earnings policy, its CEO told Semafor, escalating a commercial cash-flow dispute into bilateral negotiations.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The 28-year-old California native faces growing as Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have opened a commanding gap atop the tennis world.—
Douglas Robson,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The scandal arose as early voting began in Texas, with Gonzales vying for the Republican candidacy for his district in the primaries.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Mar. 2026
-
If the matter-antimatter asymmetry arose due to a breaking of a certain cosmic symmetry at a higher energy, then restoring the symmetry could lead to that symmetry re-breaking in a different fashion.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Boise State women’s basketball team appeared to receive a major postseason gift over the weekend.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Video footage showed what appeared to be two strikes on the building that were minutes apart.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
There was an array of local snacks and drinks in the fridge, plus local coffee and tea.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Mar. 2026
-
There was no immediate White House comment.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Commenced.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commenced. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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