Synonyms of start

start 1 of 4

verb (1)

1

as in to jump

to move suddenly and sharply (as in surprise)

I started from my chair when I heard the sudden scream

Synonyms & Similar Words

• jump
• leap
• cringe
• wince
• flinch
• startle
• bolt
• twitch
• jerk
• react
• bound
• respond
• spring
• shrink
• recoil
• spook
• jolt
• quail
• blench
• squinch

2

as in to establish

to be responsible for the creation and early operation or use of

started the impressionist movement in art

Synonyms & Similar Words

• establish
• initiate
• found
• pioneer
• launch
• begin
• introduce
• create
• institute
• inaugurate
• plant
• constitute
• construct
• organize
• originate
• innovate
• set up
• develop
• invent
• author
• produce
• devise
• manufacture
• think (up)
• conceive
• expand
• fund
• make up
• cook (up)
• finance
• contrive
• concoct
• enlarge
• father
• arrange
• subsidize
• endow
• fabricate
• systematize
• reinitiate
• put up
• relaunch
• reinstitute
• systemize
• refound

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• close (down)
• shut (up)
• stop
• end
• finish
• abolish
• nullify
• terminate
• phase out
• annul
• halt
• annihilate
• wind up
• round (off or out)
• wrap up

3

as in to activate

to cause to function

trying to start the car on a frigid morning

Synonyms & Similar Words

• activate
• trigger
• spark
• drive
• move
• power
• generate
• set off
• run
• fuel
• ignite
• provoke
• turn on
• actuate
• push
• charge
• touch off
• launch
• crank (up)
• fire
• stimulate
• switch
• energize
• electrify
• release
• trip
• turn over
• accelerate
• reactivate
• kick over
• discharge
• kick-start
• instigate
• jump-start
• recharge
• quicken
• incite
• stir up
• excite
• arouse
• catalyze
• step up
• vitalize
• speed (up)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• cut
• kill
• stop
• shut off
• cut out
• check
• turn off
• stick
• cut off
• halt
• brake
• arrest
• draw up
• deactivate
• slow
• suppress
• stall
• jam
• repress
• decelerate
• stunt

4

as in to begin

to come into existence

the fight started when one child tripped the other

Synonyms & Similar Words

• begin
• commence
• originate
• appear
• arise
• be
• emerge
• form
• arrive
• set in
• spring
• materialize
• break
• exist
• live
• last
• dawn
• continue
• actualize
• engender
• breathe
• survive
• come on
• persist
• subsist
• endure
• shape (up)
• coalesce
• cohere

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• stop
• end
• cease
• finish
• conclude
• quit
• terminate
• discontinue
• halt
• disappear
• die
• dissolve
• vanish
• depart
• desist
• expire
• evaporate
• perish
• pass away

5

as in to protrude

to extend outward beyond a usual point

frightened horses with starting eyes

Synonyms & Similar Words

• protrude
• poke
• stand out
• project
• jut
• bulge
• swell
• stick out
• bunch
• extend
• pout
• overhang
• balloon
• pouch
• billow
• lengthen
• pooch
• belly
• stretch
• dome
• expand
• beetle
• bag
• inflate
• dilate
• snowball
• distend
• elongate
• blow up
• mushroom

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• shrink
• contract
• compress
• condense
• constrict

6

as in to commence

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

we'll be ready to start the concert in a moment

Synonyms & Similar Words

• begin
• commence
• open
• launch
• found
• fall (to)
• set about
• create
• get going
• enter (into or upon)
• embark (on or upon)
• strike (into)
• get off
• initiate
• get to
• lead off
• organize
• generate
• establish
• kick off
• originate
• adopt
• invent
• inaugurate
• pioneer
• institute
• innovate
• take up
• take on
• embrace
• spawn
• get down (to)
• get around (to)
• set up
• father
• get round (to)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• end
• finish
• stop
• conclude
• terminate
• cease
• quit
• discontinue
• complete
• halt
• close
• leave
• abandon
• lay off
• desist
• destroy
• abolish
• knock off
• extinguish
• forsake
• phase out
• exterminate
• demolish

start

2 of 4

noun

as in beginning

the point at which something begins

knew from the start of the game that he would win easily

Synonyms & Similar Words

• beginning
• commencement
• inception
• onset
• launch
• alpha
• outset
• dawn
• genesis
• baseline
• kickoff
• threshold
• morning
• birth
• infancy
• day one
• initiation
• get-go
• inauguration
• git-go
• founding
• origination
• incipiency
• origin
• incipience
• nascence
• nascency
• first base
• spring
• opening
• arrival
• ground zero
• drawing board
• creation
• dawning
• debut
• emergence
• well
• source
• institution
• germ
• cradle
• fountain
• advent
• square one
• childhood
• root
• appearance
• début
• fountainhead
• wellspring
• seedbed
• youth

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• end
• close
• conclusion
• ending
• period
• stop
• finish
• completion
• closing
• termination
• closure
• cessation
• omega
• finale
• windup

starting

3 of 4

adjective

as in initial

Synonyms & Similar Words

• beginning
• initial
• opening
• first
• earliest
• pioneer
• original
• inaugural
• foremost
• maiden
• primary
• leadoff
• headmost
• eminent
• premier
• superior

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• last
• final
• latter
• concluding
• latest
• following
• terminal
• ultimate
• succeeding
• lag
• closing
• terminating
• eventual
• ensuing
• consequent
• rearmost
• hindmost
• bottommost
• crowning
• decisive
• conclusive
• definitive

starting

4 of 4

verb (2)

present participle of start

1

as in jumping

to move suddenly and sharply (as in surprise)

I started from my chair when I heard the sudden scream

Synonyms & Similar Words

• jumping
• leaping
• cringing
• wincing
• startling
• bolting
• flinching
• twitching
• jerking
• reacting
• responding
• springing
• shrinking
• recoiling
• jolting
• bounding
• blenching
• spooking
• quailing
• squinching

2

as in establishing

to be responsible for the creation and early operation or use of

started the impressionist movement in art

Synonyms & Similar Words

• establishing
• founding
• initiating
• launching
• introducing
• creating
• beginning
• pioneering
• instituting
• inaugurating
• planting
• constructing
• constituting
• originating
• organizing
• innovating
• developing
• producing
• setting up
• inventing
• devising
• manufacturing
• authoring
• expanding
• thinking (up)
• cooking (up)
• conceiving
• funding
• enlarging
• financing
• making up
• concocting
• subsidizing
• fathering
• arranging
• contriving
• fabricating
• endowing
• relaunching
• systematizing
• reinitiating
• reinstituting
• putting up
• refounding
• systemizing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• closing (down)
• shutting (up)
• ending
• finishing
• abolishing
• phasing out
• stopping
• terminating
• halting
• nullifying
• annihilating
• annulling
• winding up
• rounding (off or out)
• wrapping up

3

as in activating

to cause to function

trying to start the car on a frigid morning

Synonyms & Similar Words

• activating
• triggering
• sparking
• driving
• moving
• generating
• powering
• fueling
• running
• pushing
• setting off
• igniting
• turning on
• charging
• provoking
• launching
• touching off
• actuating
• firing
• cranking (up)
• switching
• releasing
• electrifying
• fuelling
• energizing
• turning over
• stimulating
• accelerating
• tripping
• discharging
• reactivating
• exciting
• kicking over
• recharging
• inciting
• kick-starting
• instigating
• stirring up
• jump-starting
• quickening
• arousing
• catalyzing
• stepping up
• vitalizing
• speeding (up)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• cutting
• killing
• stopping
• checking
• sticking
• cutting out
• shutting off
• turning off
• halting
• arresting
• cutting off
• stalling
• braking
• drawing up
• slowing
• jamming
• deactivating
• suppressing
• repressing
• decelerating
• stunting

4

as in commencing

to come into existence

the fight started when one child tripped the other

Synonyms & Similar Words

• beginning
• commencing
• originating
• appearing
• arising
• being
• forming
• arriving
• emerging
• springing
• existing
• living
• breaking
• dawning
• continuing
• actualizing
• materializing
• setting in
• lasting
• engendering
• breathing
• surviving
• coming on
• subsisting
• persisting
• shaping (up)
• coalescing
• enduring
• cohering

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ending
• stopping
• ceasing
• finishing
• terminating
• concluding
• discontinuing
• halting
• quitting
• disappearing
• vanishing
• dying
• dissolving
• evaporating
• departing
• desisting
• expiring
• passing away
• perishing

5

as in protruding

to extend outward beyond a usual point

frightened horses with starting eyes

Synonyms & Similar Words

• protruding
• poking
• projecting
• bulging
• standing out
• swelling
• jutting
• sticking out
• bunching
• extending
• pouting
• billowing
• ballooning
• overhanging
• bagging
• bellying
• pooching
• pouching
• stretching
• beetling
• expanding
• lengthening
• inflating
• snowballing
• mushrooming
• dilating
• distending
• doming
• elongating
• blowing up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• contracting
• shrinking
• condensing
• compressing
• constricting

6

as in launching

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

we'll be ready to start the concert in a moment

Synonyms & Similar Words

• beginning
• commencing
• launching
• opening
• falling (to)
• creating
• entering (into or upon)
• initiating
• striking (into)
• embarking (on or upon)
• getting off
• organizing
• generating
• getting to
• originating
• establishing
• getting going
• leading off
• adopting
• setting about
• kicking off
• inventing
• inaugurating
• founding
• instituting
• spawning
• innovating
• pioneering
• embracing
• taking up
• taking on
• fathering
• setting up
• getting down (to)
• getting around (to)
• getting round (to)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ending
• finishing
• stopping
• terminating
• concluding
• ceasing
• discontinuing
• completing
• halting
• closing
• leaving
• quitting
• laying off
• abandoning
• destroying
• desisting
• knocking off
• abolishing
• forsaking
• extinguishing
• exterminating
• demolishing
• phasing out

Phrases Containing start

• to start with