Synonym Chooser

How does the verb originate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of originate are arise, derive, emanate, flow, issue, proceed, rise, spring, and stem. While all these words mean "to come up or out of something into existence," originate implies a definite source or starting point.

the fire originated in the basement

How do arise and rise relate to one another, in the sense of originate?

Arise and rise may both convey the fact of coming into existence or notice but rise often stresses gradual growth or ascent.

new questions have arisen
slowly rose to prominence

When can derive be used instead of originate?

While in some cases nearly identical to originate, derive implies a prior existence in another form.

the holiday derives from an ancient Roman feast

When is emanate a more appropriate choice than originate?

In some situations, the words emanate and originate are roughly equivalent. However, emanate applies to the coming of something immaterial (such as a thought) from a source.

reports emanating from the capital

How are the words flow and spring related as synonyms of originate?

Flow adds to spring a suggestion of abundance or ease of inception.

words flowed easily from her pen

When might issue be a better fit than originate?

The meanings of issue and originate largely overlap; however, issue suggests emerging from confinement through an outlet.

blood issued from the cut

When is it sensible to use proceed instead of originate?

The words proceed and originate can be used in similar contexts, but proceed stresses place of origin, derivation, parentage, or logical cause.

advice that proceeds from the best of intentions

When would spring be a good substitute for originate?

While the synonyms spring and originate are close in meaning, spring implies rapid or sudden emerging.

an idea that springs to mind

When could stem be used to replace originate?

Although the words stem and originate have much in common, stem implies originating by dividing or branching off from something as an outgrowth or subordinate development.

industries stemming from space research

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 originate All three originated on different Amazon platforms. Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2025 If a storm originates in the North Atlantic, central North Pacific, or eastern North Pacific, it is classified as a hurricane. Julia Gomez, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025 Parts for farm equipment often originate in China or other Asian countries. Patricia Lopez, Mercury News, 14 Oct. 2025 This year, the top 10 pumpkins all originated from California. Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for originate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for originate
Verb
  • The incident on Saturday morning began when Oakland police were called about person who had broken into a home on the 11000 block of Ettrick Street, in a hills neighborhood near the Oakland Zoo.
    Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 20 Oct. 2025
  • The issue began shortly after midnight PDT in AWS' main US-East-1 region hosted in northern Virginia.
    Tasmin Lockwood,Katrina Bishop, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Anthropologist Eugenia Shanklin’s analysis of the details in this legend, and her discussions with Kom people (1989), led her to conclude that the geomyth arose after a real natural disaster centuries ago.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
  • When speaking with The Hollywood Reporter earlier this year, Next Gen NYC creator and executive producer Michaline Babich explained that the idea for the series arose from her time working on The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.
    McKinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • But Hough and Inaba found themselves at loggerheads when the former's critique started to go south.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Amazon dropped hundreds of early bird Christmas tree deals, with festive artificial firs and spruces starting at just $33.
    Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The city appeared to have reached the final stage of awarding a three-year, $27 million deal to a new security company on several occasions this year.
    Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Later experiments appeared to confirm what Prentice’s genetic data suggested.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The split commenced a contentious court battle in which the former model requested $175,057 in child support payments, a $45,000 increase from a tentative payment order, during a two-day Santa Barbara court hearing in August, according to People.
    Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 20 Oct. 2025
  • The 17-year-long lease will commence at the start of 2026, with two five-year renewal options when the term expires in June 2043, the documents state.
    Matthew Geiger, Denver Post, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • According to the new research, which analyzed data from 125,000 children, there was a 36% decline in all food allergies between 2012 and 2020.
    Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
  • There are also ramifications for the agriculture industry and food production.
    Nino Paoli, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Originate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/originate. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

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