Synonyms of commences

commences

verb

present tense third-person singular of commence

1

as in begins

to take the first step in (a process or course of action)

commence the festivities

Synonyms & Similar Words

• begins
• starts
• opens
• launches
• falls (to)
• strikes (into)
• enters (into or upon)
• creates
• initiates
• gets going
• embarks (on or upon)
• originates
• gets off
• generates
• leads off
• gets to
• sets about
• kicks off
• establishes
• adopts
• organizes
• inaugurates
• invents
• founds
• institutes
• fathers
• spawns
• embraces
• innovates
• takes on
• gets down (to)
• gets around (to)
• takes up
• sets up
• pioneers
• gets round (to)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ends
• concludes
• terminates
• finishes
• ceases
• stops
• halts
• completes
• closes
• discontinues
• quits
• leaves
• abandons
• desists
• destroys
• forsakes
• lays off
• abolishes
• extinguishes
• knocks off
• demolishes
• exterminates
• phases out

2

as in starts

to come into existence

the games commenced early in the morning

Synonyms & Similar Words

• begins
• starts
• originates
• arises
• appears
• is
• emerges
• arrives
• forms
• engenders
• springs
• exists
• dawns
• lasts
• materializes
• breaks
• actualizes
• sets in
• continues
• lives
• breathes
• persists
• survives
• subsists
• comes on
• endures
• shapes (up)
• coalesces
• coheres

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ends
• ceases
• stops
• concludes
• terminates
• finishes
• halts
• disappears
• vanishes
• quits
• dissolves
• dies
• expires
• evaporates
• departs
• discontinues
• desists
• perishes
• passes away

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of commences

Or to be up high and see that, down below, a town is just a grid spread out on a map and nothing more, a grid that flickers with lights that spark on as the darkness commences. — Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2026

The process, in other words, commences with the industrial production of miniature supernovas. — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026

January 2025 to May 2025 Cornell commences a Title IX investigation. — Amy B Wang, Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2026

The pilot commences online and at stores across Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas. — Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026

The Europa League commences with its first league phase fixtures next week, on Wednesday, September 16 and Thursday, September 17. — Leon Imber, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

The Jet Set to the Beekman package commences with a Blade helicopter flight to Pier 11 in Lower Manhattan (from eligible departure points), where a house car will then take you to the Beekman’s West Turret penthouse. — Spencer Whaley, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026

With a fury inside him, Garfield unleashes violence against them and commences the rebellion. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 16 July 2026

For borrowers looking to purchase a home or refinance their current one in this climate, however, there are also some strategic moves worth considering now, before the Fed's June meeting even commences. — Matt Richardson, CBS News, 12 June 2026