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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

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start

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noun

starting

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adjective

starting

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verb (2)

present participle of start
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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 start
Verb
Disney’s earnings won’t reflect any financial hit from the carriage fight, which started after the late-September end to the quarter, but execs are likely to offer comments on the situation. Dade Hayes, Deadline, 11 Nov. 2025 If not, Simmons will start Joe Pesansky, who started his first FBS game last week and led FIU to a 56-30 win over Middle Tennessee State. Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 11 Nov. 2025
Noun
Matsuda got his start as a Story Artist for Disney Animation, working on modern classics including Zootopia and Big Hero 6. Matt Grobar, Deadline, 10 Nov. 2025 The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the top teams in the Western Conference, and their strong start may motivate the front office to become more aggressive ahead of the NBA trade deadline. Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
Adjective
During his two-season NFL career, Kneeland appeared in 18 games, with four as a starting defensive end. Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Nov. 2025 Despite being taken out of the starting lineup for Games 6 and 7, center fielder Andy Pages entered the game five pitches prior, and tracked down the ball to send the game into extra innings. Gabe Smallson, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
The vacation spot, which is on the grounds of a 17th-century manor, is available for a minimum of two nights starting from £360, or about $470. Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 9 Nov. 2025 Even parents who don’t trail physically are finding new ways to insert themselves into the college experience—starting with dorm rooms, as The Atlantic has reported. Russell Shaw, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for start
Recent Examples of Synonyms for start
Noun
  • From its beginning, the leaders of the rebellion well understood the global reach and resonance of their great struggle.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
  • But that was the beginning of everything for both of us.
    Karen Taylor Bass, Billboard, 6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • An initial target of £2,000 had doubled by the time Scunthorpe confirmed on Thursday that he had been discharged from hospital.
    Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 8 Nov. 2025
  • The initial childhood of Victor Frankenstein lends itself more to that age of enlightenment.
    Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 8 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Moore delivered a commencement address at Lincoln University in Gettysburg in May, the same month Gallego and Khanna paid their own visits.
    Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 6 Nov. 2025
  • The actor previously gave a commencement speech at the college in 2021.
    Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The play received overwhelmingly positive reviews, which may help its trajectory, as the show has seen its wraps triple for post-opening sales, according to the production.
    Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 4 Nov. 2025
  • Everyone is invited to this bacchanal of botox and fire dancers, but everyone seems to understand that this is actually the opening salvo of the war that’s been brewing between Mary and Chrishell’s respective fiefdoms.
    Anne Victoria Clark, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Since its inception in 2013, the festival has taken place in Los Angeles in the fall, showcasing speculative cinema from around the globe.
    Andrew McGowan, Variety, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Since its inception, IEEPA has been invoked 69 times, and no president has ever used it to impose tariffs.
    Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • My first apartment on 15th and Union Square was a studio in a classy old building with marble pillars, one small room with a bigger bathroom and strangely an even bigger closet.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Nov. 2025
  • The purchase was the first investment by a Middle Eastern carrier in an East Asian airline.
    John Liu, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Beijing nearly doubled the rate of expansion at missile production sites in the two years that followed the onset of the war, according to CNN’s satellite imagery analysis of constructed floorspace.
    Tamara Qiblawi, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Amid the second surge of the virus, in August 2020, the first ‘covid novel’ arrived—Ali Smith’s Summer, the last of a seasonal quartet, written during Britain’s early lockdown, which includes real-time descriptions of the pandemic’s onset.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Much like Blue Origin’s chief competitor, SpaceX — which has long been a dominant force in the commercial launch business — Blue Origin rockets are designed to be partially reused in order to drive down costs.
    Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 9 Nov. 2025
  • The latter has grown into a dominant force in pay-TV, racking up 10 million subscribers just eight years after its launch.
    Dade Hayes, Deadline, 9 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Start.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/start. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.

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