Synonyms of start

start 1 of 4

verb (1)

ˈstärt 

1

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

2

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

3

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

4

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

5

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

6

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

start

2 of 4

noun (1)

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

starts

3 of 4

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of start

1

as in jumps

to move suddenly and sharply (as in surprise)

I started from my chair when I heard the sudden scream

Synonyms & Similar Words

• jumps
• winces
• leaps
• cringes
• startles
• flinches
• reacts
• bolts
• twitches
• jerks
• responds
• recoils
• shrinks
• springs
• jolts
• spooks
• bounds
• blenches
• quails
• squinches

2

as in founds

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

started the impressionist movement in art

Synonyms & Similar Words

• founds
• establishes
• initiates
• begins
• launches
• introduces
• creates
• institutes
• pioneers
• inaugurates
• plants
• constitutes
• originates
• innovates
• organizes
• constructs
• develops
• invents
• sets up
• authors
• produces
• fathers
• manufactures
• conceives
• devises
• concocts
• expands
• thinks (up)
• cooks (up)
• contrives
• enlarges
• makes up
• subsidizes
• endows
• arranges
• finances
• fabricates
• funds
• systematizes
• reinitiates
• relaunches
• systemizes
• reinstitutes
• refounds
• puts up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• closes (down)
• ends
• shuts (up)
• stops
• finishes
• abolishes
• terminates
• annihilates
• nullifies
• halts
• annuls
• phases out
• rounds (off or out)
• winds up
• wraps up

3

as in activates

to cause to function

trying to start the car on a frigid morning

Synonyms & Similar Words

• activates
• triggers
• sparks
• drives
• moves
• generates
• powers
• fuels
• runs
• ignites
• sets off
• provokes
• actuates
• turns on
• pushes
• launches
• touches off
• cranks (up)
• fires
• charges
• stimulates
• energizes
• electrifies
• switches
• accelerates
• turns over
• releases
• trips
• reactivates
• excites
• arouses
• kick-starts
• incites
• kicks over
• instigates
• quickens
• recharges
• discharges
• jump-starts
• catalyzes
• speeds (up)
• stirs up
• steps up
• vitalizes

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• kills
• stops
• cuts
• turns off
• shuts off
• brakes
• arrests
• cuts out
• halts
• checks
• sticks
• stalls
• jams
• slows
• deactivates
• cuts off
• suppresses
• draws up
• represses
• decelerates
• stunts

4

as in begins

to come into existence

the fight started when one child tripped the other

Synonyms & Similar Words

• begins
• commences
• originates
• arises
• appears
• is
• emerges
• arrives
• forms
• springs
• engenders
• exists
• breaks
• dawns
• lasts
• materializes
• sets in
• lives
• actualizes
• continues
• breathes
• persists
• survives
• comes on
• subsists
• endures
• shapes (up)
• coalesces
• coheres

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ends
• stops
• ceases
• concludes
• finishes
• terminates
• disappears
• halts
• quits
• vanishes
• dissolves
• dies
• evaporates
• departs
• expires
• discontinues
• desists
• perishes
• passes away

5

as in protrudes

to extend outward beyond a usual point

frightened horses with starting eyes

Synonyms & Similar Words

• protrudes
• pokes
• juts
• bulges
• stands out
• swells
• sticks out
• projects
• pouts
• extends
• billows
• overhangs
• bunches
• beetles
• pouches
• lengthens
• bellies
• balloons
• bags
• stretches
• inflates
• expands
• dilates
• pooches
• distends
• elongates
• domes
• mushrooms
• snowballs
• blows up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• shrinks
• contracts
• condenses
• compresses
• constricts

6

as in commences

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

• begins
• commences
• opens
• launches
• falls (to)
• creates
• enters (into or upon)
• strikes (into)
• initiates
• gets going
• embarks (on or upon)
• gets off
• generates
• gets to
• leads off
• sets about
• originates
• organizes
• establishes
• kicks off
• adopts
• invents
• inaugurates
• founds
• institutes
• spawns
• innovates
• fathers
• embraces
• takes on
• takes up
• gets down (to)
• gets around (to)
• sets up
• pioneers
• gets round (to)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ends
• concludes
• finishes
• stops
• terminates
• ceases
• closes
• halts
• completes
• quits
• discontinues
• leaves
• abandons
• desists
• destroys
• lays off
• forsakes
• knocks off
• abolishes
• extinguishes
• demolishes
• exterminates
• phases out

starts

4 of 4

noun (2)

plural of start

as in beginnings

the point at which something begins

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• beginnings
• launches
• inceptions
• onsets
• commencements
• alphas
• dawns
• thresholds
• geneses
• outsets
• day ones
• baselines
• mornings
• kickoffs
• incipiencies
• incipiences
• births
• nascencies
• infancies
• originations
• nascences
• get-goes
• initiations
• origins
• first bases
• inaugurations
• drawing boards
• ground zeros
• debuts
• square ones
• springs
• cradles
• arrivals
• emergences
• institutions
• openings
• fountains
• germs
• sources
• creations
• wells
• appearances
• roots
• fountainheads
• advents
• wellsprings
• childhoods
• youths
• seedbeds

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ends
• closes
• conclusions
• endings
• stops
• finishes
• periods
• closures
• completions
• terminations
• closings
• omegas
• cessations
• finales
• windups

Synonym Chooser

How is the word start different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of start are begin, commence, inaugurate, initiate, and usher in. While all these words mean "to take the first step in a course, process, or operation," start, opposed to stop, applies especially to first actions, steps, or stages.

the work started slowly

How is begin related to other words for start?

Begin, start, and commence are often interchangeable, with begin, opposed to end, being the most general.

begin a trip

began dancing

How does the word commence relate to other synonyms for start?

Commence can be more formal or bookish than begin or start.

commence firing

commenced a conversation

When could inaugurate be used to replace start?

The meanings of inaugurate and start largely overlap; however, inaugurate suggests a beginning of some formality or notion of significance.

the discovery of penicillin inaugurated a new era in medicine

In what contexts can initiate take the place of start?

Although the words initiate and start have much in common, initiate implies taking a first step in a process or series that is to continue.

initiated diplomatic contacts

How are the words usher in and inaugurate related as synonyms of start?

Usher in is somewhat less weighty than inaugurate.

ushered in a period of economic decline

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of start

Verb

At the Golden Nugget’s four locations, our in-person diners have started returning to pre-pandemic numbers, and delivery, which spiked in 2020, is still humming. —Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2026

The game started with a historic first quarter in which the home team scored 36 points, which marked the franchise’s highest-scoring first quarter since 2023, per the team. —Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 9 May 2026

Noun

The Yankees’ left-hander is lined up for his first start of the season in Milwaukee on Sunday. —Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 9 May 2026

The two-time Cy Young Award winner is set to rejoin the rotation sooner than anticipated after teammate Tyler Glasnow left a start early this week because of back trouble. —ABC News, 9 May 2026

Verb

This is going to become crucial when the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), conducted by the Rubin Observatory from its mountaintop perch in Chile, starts delivering observations of unprecedented numbers of supernovas. —Robert Lea, Space.com, 12 May 2026

That is where the staying power starts to make sense. —Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 12 May 2026

Noun

Freese has 22 shutouts in 100 career starts. —Cbs New York Team, CBS News, 11 May 2026

Rasmussen has made four road starts, and his ERA is almost two runs higher as a visitor than as a home pitcher. —David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 11 May 2026

Phrases Containing start

• to start with