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
Since retiring from the NFL, Brady has remained active in business and public life, appearing at events ranging from college commencement ceremonies to discussions about the changing landscape of college athletics.
—
Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 9 June 2026
Just days before the first article drawn from Silent Spring appeared in the pages of The New Yorker in June 1962, Carson had flown to California to deliver the commencement speech at Scripps College.
—Literary Hub, 8 June 2026
For the first time, Sacramento City Unified School District high school graduates crossed the stage at Golden 1 Center on Monday as the district moved all commencement ceremonies to the downtown arena.
—Hector Amezcua, Sacbee.com, 8 June 2026
The following was excerpted and adapted from a commencement speech given at Bard College on May 23.
—Fareed Zakaria, Washington Post, 7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for commencement
Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 9 June 2026
Just days before the first article drawn from Silent Spring appeared in the pages of The New Yorker in June 1962, Carson had flown to California to deliver the commencement speech at Scripps College.
—Literary Hub, 8 June 2026
For the first time, Sacramento City Unified School District high school graduates crossed the stage at Golden 1 Center on Monday as the district moved all commencement ceremonies to the downtown arena.
—Hector Amezcua, Sacbee.com, 8 June 2026
The following was excerpted and adapted from a commencement speech given at Bard College on May 23.
—Fareed Zakaria, Washington Post, 7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for commencement
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commencement
Noun
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Most have occurred since the beginning of May, in addition to a surge in strikes on other targets such as port facilities and ships.—
Gianluca Mezzofiore,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
-
Just a single oil tanker, from Russia, has docked in Cuba since the beginning of the year.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
The World Cup is off to a record-breaking start for both Fox Sports and Telemundo.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
14 June 2026
-
Added to that underwhelming start were nine turnovers, all of which contributed to a middling offensive performance that helped San Antonio build its sizable lead.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
The Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) roster features some of the top-tier professional wrestlers in the industry with company putting on innovative matches since its inception.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2026
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But from its inception, the country has been aggressive and expansionist, seizing land from its Indigenous population, paying off some European powers while menacing others.—
Ta-Nehisi Coates,
Vanity Fair,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
According to the report, both men fell ill after spending time outdoors, one playing golf at five courses in Alameda and Contra Costa counties within 14 days of the onset of his symptoms.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
16 June 2026
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She was cut during training camp From the onset of training camp, Dastrup impressed Finglass and Trammell with her showmanship.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
Fandom Intelligence is available to dentsu clients in all new launch markets now.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
19 June 2026
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The official float season is when concessions like raft rentals and shuttle buses are available at the Barber Park launch.—
Matan Josephy,
Idaho Statesman,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Commencement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commencement. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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