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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of commencement
Sustaining the mission: President Forrest Harris, Sr., an American Baptist alumnus himself, is set to retire following the college's commencement on May 15 after 26 years leading the Nashville institution.
—
Laura L. Davis, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
And where, in 1988, I was invited to be the commencement speaker at my alma mater.
—Bea L. Hines, Miami Herald, 25 June 2025
In a joint commencement speech with Murty at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business (where the couple first met back in 2004), Sunak told graduates that key to finding success is being adept at both what the data and own instinct is telling you.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 9 July 2025
Police say Rodney Hinton Jr. struck the deputy with his car May 1 as the deputy was directing traffic for the University of Cincinnati commencement.
—Erin Glynn, The Enquirer, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for commencement
Laura L. Davis, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
And where, in 1988, I was invited to be the commencement speaker at my alma mater.
—Bea L. Hines, Miami Herald, 25 June 2025
In a joint commencement speech with Murty at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business (where the couple first met back in 2004), Sunak told graduates that key to finding success is being adept at both what the data and own instinct is telling you.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 9 July 2025
Police say Rodney Hinton Jr. struck the deputy with his car May 1 as the deputy was directing traffic for the University of Cincinnati commencement.
—Erin Glynn, The Enquirer, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for commencement
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commencement
Noun
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What began as one family’s search for a life in rhythm with the land has bloomed into a thriving village where 70% of the acreage has been protected under a land trust from the beginning.—
Chrissy Tracey,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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The platform has tracked 2.6 billion garments to date — up from 2 billion at the beginning of the year — with over 15,000 suppliers across Asia, Europe, and South America participating.—
Rhonda Richford,
Footwear News,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The Elmbrook School District is considering changing its school start and end times, an idea that could affect the schedules of nearly 8,000 students.—
Alec Johnson,
jsonline.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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As a tech company that got its start selling to the U.S. military during the War on Terror, Palantir has been fully embedded in some of the most polarizing political debates of modern geopolitics.—
Jessica Mathews,
Fortune,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
In less than half a year since its inception, the company secured $2 billion in seed funding in July, reaching a valuation of approximately $12 billion.—
,
CNBC,
11 Aug. 2025
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The Cheval Noir represents the political fight that pushed Montreal to become one of Canada’s most progressive cities — an ideology that’s been at the core of the festival since its inception.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
9 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Mortgage rates are certainly a factor among buyers when deciding to make an offer, and home prices are also up more than 50% since the onset of the pandemic, according to the U.S. Case-Shiller Home Price Index.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
31 July 2025
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According to many of the physicians who spoke with The Hollywood Reporter, video calls’ increasing pervasiveness since the onset of the pandemic in 2020 — termed the Zoom Boom among industry insiders — has been one of the most notable shifts in recent years.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
30 July 2025
Noun
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The launch coincides with the upcoming season of Wheel of Fortune, now co-hosted by Ryan Seacrest alongside the legendary Vanna White.—
Moná Thomas,
People.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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The upcoming launch will give ESA another chance to test the new rocket system while also helping to advance climate science.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
8 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Commencement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commencement. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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