start 1 of 4

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

Relevance
2
3
4
5
6

start

2 of 4

noun

starting

3 of 4

adjective

starting

4 of 4

verb (2)

present participle of start
1
2
3
4
5
6

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
Alfred Collins spent his first four years at Texas in the shadows, starting all of 12 games as the Longhorns kept rotating in older studs on their defensive line. Vic Tafur, New York Times, 16 May 2025 All of those accomplishments, however, paled in personal significance to what the Dodgers’ starting catcher did. Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2025
Noun
Kuhns allowed 5 runs (4 earned), 3 hits and 3 walks, and struck out 3 during his 2-inning start for the Vols. Matt Jones, Arkansas Online, 17 May 2025 While the official start of hurricane season is June 1st, storms can occasionally develop in May. Doyle Rice, USA Today, 16 May 2025
Verb
Perhaps Finch is leaning on a couple of recent games against high-caliber competition for optimism about his starting five. Jon Krawczynski, The Athletic, 5 Jan. 2025 Pickett is active but not starting, meaning Tanner McKee gets an opportunity to make his first NFL start. Adam Gretz, The Athletic, 5 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for start
Recent Examples of Synonyms for start
Noun
  • Coming back as a judge 20 years later is such a special full-circle moment for me and it’s meant a lot to share that journey with the people that have been there from the beginning, as well as a whole new generation of Idol fans.
    Michelle Lee, People.com, 18 May 2025
  • The inaugural Mass marked the official beginning of Leo’s pontificate.
    Molly Bohannon, Forbes.com, 18 May 2025
Adjective
  • Biden's attorney jumped in to clarify that Hur's team had asked a speculative question that did not reflect Biden's initial answer.
    Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 18 May 2025
  • On Tuesday, May 13, Marquez was at her salon, Blossom Beauty Lounge, when, according to initial investigations, a man entered and fired a gun at her, per the Jalisco State Prosecutor’s Office (JSPO).
    Bailey Richards, People.com, 17 May 2025
Noun
  • Sheridan’s first stop was in San Marcos on May 8 for Texas State University’s spring commencement, where he was awarded an honorary doctorate of letters.
    Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 May 2025
  • Bentley University's commencement is set to take place on Friday.
    Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 13 May 2025
Noun
  • Profitable since inception, Unicorn is planning another round of fundraising soon, Mikhaylov said.
    Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 10 May 2025
  • The exhibition encompasses the house’s work from its inception to the 1920s — when famous actresses and singers, such as Sarah Bernhardt, Sophie Croizette and Nellie Melba, wore its clothes on-stage and off.
    Brian Ng, CNN Money, 9 May 2025
Adjective
  • Those first appearances will be in early 2023; at this writing, router maker TP-Link had just announced a slate of pricey Archer router and Deco mesh Wi-Fi 7 gear to debut in Q1.
    Iyaz Akhtar, PC Magazine, 13 May 2025
  • Firefighters received multiple calls before 7 p.m. to the warehouse, with the first units arriving by 6:58 p.m.
    Racquel Bazos, Baltimore Sun, 13 May 2025
Noun
  • At the onset, $50 million in seed money was allocated statewide, but the law stated an additional unspecified amount would be needed in the future.
    Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2025
  • Former Grey’s Anatomy star Patrick Dempsey is returning to broadcast TV as the lead in Memory of a Killer, Fox’s straight-to-series thriller about a hitman who develops early onset Alzheimer’s.
    Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 12 May 2025
Noun
  • Trapezoids in space All of these milestones occurred out of public view, a policy of secrecy similar to the launch of a clandestine military spy satellite.
    Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 3 May 2025
  • The Equalizer, which became the fourth network primetime drama headlined by a Black woman, got the biggest launch pad available in television with a series premiere behind the Super Bowl in 2021.
    Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 2 May 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Start.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/start. Accessed 22 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on start

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!