1
as in to commence
to take the first step in (a process or course of action)
she began walking to work for exercise
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to start
to come into existence
the storm began late in the day and lasted all night
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to establish
to be responsible for the creation and early operation or use of
the religious sect was begun by a small breakaway faction
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 begin
The general on sale for tickets will begin April 17 at noon (Melbourne), 1 p.m. (Sydney) and 2 p.m. (Brisbane) local time, respectively.
—
Stephen Daw, Billboard, 8 Apr. 2025
Manufacturing is not the ticket to success Employment in the US manufacturing industry began to decline after reaching a peak in the late 1970s, according to Labor Department data, shrinking by an even faster pace around the turn of the century.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 8 Apr. 2025
Meanwhile, in mid-February, Williams’s colleagues at the Puget Sound V.A. began to get laid off.
—E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2025
Desir had won 24 consecutive matches to begin the season.
—Alex Kushel, Sun Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for begin
Stephen Daw, Billboard, 8 Apr. 2025
Manufacturing is not the ticket to success Employment in the US manufacturing industry began to decline after reaching a peak in the late 1970s, according to Labor Department data, shrinking by an even faster pace around the turn of the century.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 8 Apr. 2025
Meanwhile, in mid-February, Williams’s colleagues at the Puget Sound V.A. began to get laid off.
—E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2025
Desir had won 24 consecutive matches to begin the season.
—Alex Kushel, Sun Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for begin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for begin
Verb
-
Around the same time, the company commenced an aggressive play for the college sports insurance market, introducing a novel contract protection product for NIL collectives while also trying to get into the critical injury coverage niche.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
15 Apr. 2025
-
Production on the second season of Nobody Wants This commenced in March 2025.—
Michael Nied,
People.com,
10 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, lost hundreds of trees following the destruction from Hurricane Helene last fall, with players commenting on it ahead of the Masters starting this week.—
Fox News Staff,
FOXNews.com,
10 Apr. 2025
-
The moment commitment gets reflective, inconvenient, or emotionally complex, people start scanning for the opt-out clause.—
Ruhama Wolle,
Glamour,
10 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Coogler established himself, with Creed and his two Black Panthermovies, as a filmmaker with propulsive, novel takes on franchise fare.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
18 Apr. 2025
-
The Smithsonian Institution was first established by Congress with funding from British scientist James Smithson.—
Lauren Peller,
ABC News,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Patterson is set to enter the transfer portal when the second cycle opens on Wednesday.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
15 Apr. 2025
-
The first night of the run hadn’t quite coalesced—the portal didn’t open.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon TV series originated a couple of years ago when Sony regained the rights to the books through a first-look deal with Vertigo and tapped Ning to adapt it as part of an overall deal.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
10 Apr. 2025
-
The conflict between Caton and his accusers originated late at night at a campsite in Bradbury Flat in Custer County, according to the probable cause affidavit reviewed by the Statesman in online court filings.—
Kevin Fixler,
Idaho Statesman,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The recall, initiated by Blooming Import Inc. in Brooklyn, New York, affects 74 cases of Golden Crop Candy, which included the dyes Blue 1, Red 40 and Acid Red 18, which were not listed on the product label.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
-
Businesses are wary of making those investments, citing uncertainty in operating conditions initiated by Trump’s tariff push, which has been rolled out in fits and starts.—
Tobias Burns,
The Hill,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Taking the time to prepare now ensures that when the opportunity to sell a business arises, the business is in a position to attract serious buyers and command the highest possible price.—
Lien De Pau,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
-
But some conservationists are expressing wide ranging concern about the unintended consequences that could arise as researchers continue to try and resurrect versions of extinct animals.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
This particular narrative arc started in 2014, when Markle founded her lifestyle blog The Tig.—
Alanna Bennett,
refinery29.com,
14 Mar. 2025
-
The Junior Invitational, founded in 2011, features 36 boys and 24 girls competing.—
Natasha Dye,
People.com,
14 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Begin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/begin. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share