as in beginning
the point at which something begins
there was a large turnout at the commencement of the conference, but the numbers dwindled as it progressed
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Recent Examples of commencement
Larissa Brady, 53, died by suicide during the university’s spring commencement ceremony in May 2024.
—
Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2025
The festival continues through Sunday, with online and in-person events and writing workshops, including a performance by Kim Addonizio on Friday night and the Santa Clara County Youth Poet Laureate commencement ceremony Saturday night, hosted by Santa Clara County Poet Laureate Yosimar Reyes.
—Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 23 Sep. 2025
Conservative activist Charlie Kirk's memorial service at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, has drawn big crowds and bigger names from the music industry, who have performed in the runup to the commencement of service and speeches.
—Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
Moreover, the dissociation process is conditioned on Debtor's commencement of a bankruptcy case, the precise situation that § 541(c) is intended to address.
—Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for commencement
Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2025
The festival continues through Sunday, with online and in-person events and writing workshops, including a performance by Kim Addonizio on Friday night and the Santa Clara County Youth Poet Laureate commencement ceremony Saturday night, hosted by Santa Clara County Poet Laureate Yosimar Reyes.
—Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 23 Sep. 2025
Conservative activist Charlie Kirk's memorial service at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, has drawn big crowds and bigger names from the music industry, who have performed in the runup to the commencement of service and speeches.
—Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
Moreover, the dissociation process is conditioned on Debtor's commencement of a bankruptcy case, the precise situation that § 541(c) is intended to address.
—Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for commencement
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commencement
Noun
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The article alleges that Gretchen liked a bunch of posts critical of the LGBTQIA+ community, one that every Housewife around that table and Real Housewives as an institution has supported from the very beginning.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
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At the end, Lydie visits Agnes with the manifestation of the news Agnes received at the beginning of the film— the baby is finally here.—
Destiny Jackson,
Deadline,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Chasing a record 299, South Africa made a sedate start under immense pressure from medium pacer Renuka Singh.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
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Back in his hometown in Los Angeles for this two-game set, Jaquez continued his strong start to the season on Sunday with 31 points, eight rebounds and four assists in 35 minutes.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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There is no question that since MLPerf’s inception, the cutting-edge hardware for AI training has improved dramatically.—
Dina Genkina,
IEEE Spectrum,
30 Oct. 2025
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Dell’s family office, DFO Management, has backed Harbor since its inception.—
Hayley Cuccinello,
CNBC,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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This mixture is what Shields attributes to a faster onset.—
Carly Fisher,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
29 Oct. 2025
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The Americans with Disabilities Act outlines that service dogs may be trained to retrieve objects, to remind their handler to take medication, to alert them to an oncoming panic attack, or to detect the onset of a seizure.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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As for Rivian’s path to profitability, McDonough noted cost savings derived from the launch of the second-generation R1 last year, and said the company will achieve further reductions with the R2.—
Jane Thier,
Fortune,
2 Nov. 2025
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The museum’s 2025 Art+Film Gala, held Saturday beneath a crisp November sky, shimmered with sequins, many of them courtesy of Gucci, the gala’s longtime presenting sponsor since its launch in 2011.—
Ryma Chikhoune,
Footwear News,
2 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Commencement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commencement. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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