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
In May 2024, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the university and spoke at the school’s spring commencement ceremony that same year.
—
Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 15 Jan. 2026
Last month, Kempthorne, a 1975 University of Idaho graduate, also was awarded the President’s Medallion at his alma mater’s winter commencement.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 14 Jan. 2026
Oakland University, in Rochester, Michigan, says fall commencement services will take place as planned, despite recent campus building closings related to problems with its high-temperature hot water pipe system.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 10 Dec. 2025
In those cases, plaintiffs' challenges were to the execution or commencement, respectively, of removal proceedings, to which their detention and arrest were merely instrumental.
—New York Times, 2 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for commencement
Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 15 Jan. 2026
Last month, Kempthorne, a 1975 University of Idaho graduate, also was awarded the President’s Medallion at his alma mater’s winter commencement.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 14 Jan. 2026
Oakland University, in Rochester, Michigan, says fall commencement services will take place as planned, despite recent campus building closings related to problems with its high-temperature hot water pipe system.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 10 Dec. 2025
In those cases, plaintiffs' challenges were to the execution or commencement, respectively, of removal proceedings, to which their detention and arrest were merely instrumental.
—New York Times, 2 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for commencement
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commencement
Noun
-
That’s been around since the beginning of time.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Banfield's at-times tense testimony comes after his attorney scrutinized the county's investigation into the defendant, arguing that officials, almost since the beginning, forced a theory that the husband had catfished and killed his wife, and ignored evidence that undermined that conclusion.—
OLIVIA DIAZ THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The continued success of this residency — which is the longest in Sphere history — is further proof of the undying love for the Eagles, which got their start as the backing band for Linda Ronstadt in 1971.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
25 Jan. 2026
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In the coming years voters will have to grapple with those changes and determine new benchmarks, both for the lights-out aces whose arms couldn’t hold up and the steady workhorses who rarely missed a start.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
25 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
What Rusbridger’s account leaves out is that the BBC has reproduced the prejudices of successive British establishments since its inception in the early twentieth century, whether by propagandizing against workers during the general strike of 1926 or by condemning the antiwar protests of 2003.—
Sean Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
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For the first time since its inception, Gmail will now let users change their primary @gmail address.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
While Rodgers had a relatively productive first season with the Steelers, the 42-year-old quarterback is undoubtedly much closer to the sunset of his storied career than the onset.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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This could be a sign of early-onset supplement psychosis.—
Alyssa Brandt,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
No Man's Sky's dogfighting model is notable for its shift from the simple, arcade combat present at launch to the more advanced systems in the game now.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
31 Jan. 2026
-
The company said that many of its partners have notched significant launch milestones with their respective rockets in the past year.—
Annie Palmer,
CNBC,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Commencement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commencement. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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