initiates

present tense third-person singular of initiate
1
2
3
as in inaugurates
to put into an office or welcome into an organization with special ceremonies initiated her as Surgeon General before an army of reporters and photographers

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 initiates Goldman Sachs initiates Augo Minerals as buy Goldman said shares of the gold company are attractive. Michael Bloom, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2025 Lo notifies the ship's security chief, Sigrid (Amanda Collin), who initiates an investigation into the incident. Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Oct. 2025 Within a couple of weeks of getting exercise, aerobic activity initiates cellular changes that increase the amount of plasma in the blood, which allows the blood to deliver more oxygen to the muscles and lengthens endurance. Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC news, 7 Oct. 2025 Domantas Sabonis often initiates the offense from the elbow or the top of the arc before dropping down to the baseline near the basket – an area known as the dunker spot – which allows his defender to provide paint protection. Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2025 Charlie Shoop, president of Professional Finance Company, said his company initiates wage garnishment on less than 1% of all accounts placed with it for collection. Rae Ellen Bichell, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2025 The office typically initiates communication by letter, Settle said. Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2025 Incidents when a person intentionally or unintentionally initiates contact, including spearfishing and releasing sharks from nets or hooks, are not included in the report. Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 13 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for initiates
Verb
  • Even a simple touch—such as a coat of blue paint on the railings—establishes a visual connection to art and accessories in the room.
    Kathy Barnes, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Oct. 2025
  • The win not only continues Oregon's undefeated season, but also establishes Oregon as arguably the team to beat in the Big Ten at this point.
    Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The opening introduces her character aglow in red light, complemented by a narrated monologue, vaguely written but delivered as pure, possibly suicidal despair.
    J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Horizons introduces audiences to a diverse array of both human characters and new Pocket Monsters, especially critters from the colorful Paldea Region (and the game franchise's ninth generation).
    Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In theory, this transition inaugurates a chapter of enfranchisement, but in the next scene the Senegalese businessmen are in suits, and the white men return with briefcases full of money as bribes.
    Lovia Gyarkye, IndieWire, 19 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The nonprofit museum maintains the property and educates the public on Fort Lauderdale’s rich — and relatively young — history.
    Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2025
  • SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe.
    Eve Lu, Scientific American, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In nearby Aloxe-Corton, Domaine Frey creates cuvées of wines aged in both Clayver and oak rather than using 100 percent ceramic.
    Mike DeSimone, Robb Report, 12 Oct. 2025
  • The company creates fiberglass and papier-mâché creatures, towering works of art, like glowing spiders and dancing, 20-foot skeletons.
    Jenny Adams, Southern Living, 12 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • If a Gulf state’s security partner installs its military personnel in that state, then a large-scale attack on that Gulf state will almost certainly lead to significant casualties among the security partner’s ranks, inevitably dragging it into the conflict.
    Omar Al-Ubaydli, semafor.com, 8 Oct. 2025
  • These links may lead to phishing sites designed to steal your credentials or malware that installs silently on your device.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • If Max goes down because an update is buggy, servers break, or someone launches a cyberattack, the app could be offline for some period—in this case, potentially halting millions of bank payments, messages, and identity-verification attempts through the app.
    Justin Sherman, The Atlantic, 11 Oct. 2025
  • The show launches globally on October 22.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Initiates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/initiates. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on initiates

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!