commencements

noun

plural of commencement
as in beginnings
the point at which something begins there was a large turnout at the commencement of the conference, but the numbers dwindled as it progressed

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of commencements The students booing artificial intelligence at commencements across the country are not just worried about jobs. — Mark Bardeen Andrejevic, Washington Post, 10 July 2026 Recent Harvard commencements have grown much more political. — Michael Casey, Fortune, 29 May 2026 Originally called MarchingOrder, Tassel had provided services for commencements for around 20 years before adding the AI name offering. — Kendall Staton The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 25 May 2026 By moving some commencements away from increasingly costly private sites, the financially ailing school district could have saved about half a million dollars a year. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 24 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commencements
  1. beginnings
  2. starts
  3. onsets
  4. alphas
  5. launches
Noun
  • Our brains hold onto beginnings and endings and lose the middle.
    — James Glover, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • San Jose native Roberto Mendoza parlayed humble beginnings as a dishwasher into a culinary career at Michelin star restaurants.
    — Laura Ness, Mercury News, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of beginnings
Noun
  • Kremer has allowed 12 home runs in seven starts this year, avoiding a home run in only one of those turns and ceding multiple homers in three of them.
    — Josh Shepardson, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The two-time All-Star was 0-4 in his final seven starts for New York and hasn’t won since pitching five innings in an 8-1 victory over the Braves on June 14.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of starts
Noun
  • Experts said the second earthquake began before the first had even ended, with the two onsets separated by just 39 seconds.
    — Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 26 June 2026
  • Anxiety disorders can persist into adulthood, particularly those disorders with early onsets and those that are left untreated.
    — Elana Bernstein, The Conversation, 13 May 2022
Definition of onsets
Noun
  • In the past few years, Underwood has come to realize that a bunch of barking alphas may not, in fact, be the best way to build a successful pack.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
  • As a ballplayer, Kent was as irascible as Bonds; the two alphas reportedly brawled behind clubhouse doors, and famously clashed in the dugout during a 2002 game, when Bonds lunged for Kent’s throat and pushed him against the wall.
    — Jeremy Collins, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2025
Definition of alphas
Noun
  • This week's exciting launches include an all-new collaborative platform for ASOS and emerging designers, pre-fall goodness at Express, stunning new arrivals at Patricia Nash, a fab jewelry collection curated by Martha Stewart, and much more.
    — Kelsey Legg, ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026
  • SpaceX, meanwhile, has shifted Falcon 9 launches to fly just from Canaveral’s SLC-40 and leave its pad at Kennedy Space Center’s Space Launch Complex 39-A for just Falcon Heavy missions.
    — Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of launches

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Cite this Entry

“Commencements.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commencements. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on commencements

Nglish: Translation of commencements for Spanish Speakers

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