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
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Recent Examples of begin
While celebrities sit in hair and makeup for hours the day of the Met Gala, in many cases skin care prep begins months before.
—
Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 27 Apr. 2026
The pageantry began Monday amid heightened security concerns and a growing rift over the Iran war.
—Michael Birnbaum, Washington Post, 27 Apr. 2026
By some measures, soft nationalization has already begun.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
Hampshire College's website says employees began to find out last week about their job status.
—Neal Riley, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for begin
Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 27 Apr. 2026
The pageantry began Monday amid heightened security concerns and a growing rift over the Iran war.
—Michael Birnbaum, Washington Post, 27 Apr. 2026
By some measures, soft nationalization has already begun.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
Hampshire College's website says employees began to find out last week about their job status.
—Neal Riley, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for begin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for begin
Verb
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Since the season commenced in Australia in March, the F1 WAGs have made their presence known as they've been seen alongside their partners in the paddock and cheering from the stands during races.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
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Earlier this year, the company announced a publishing administration partnership with 16-time Grammy Award-winner — and Variety’s Hitmakers 2025 songwriter of the year — Bruno Mars, commencing upon the completion of his current deal with BMG/Warner Chappell.—
Andrew Flanagan,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Carolyn Hax started her Washington Post advice column in 1997, after five years on the Style desk and none as a therapist.—
Carolyn Hax,
Washington Post,
15 May 2026
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That process started with those trades and continued into free agency, when Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn prioritized veteran players to help guide a young roster.—
Zack Rosenblatt,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Finally, in overcoming this vexing moment, the two would establish a painterly repartee that altered the trajectory of their own work and, by extension, modern art.—
Susan Tallman,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
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Through this exhibition program, which shed a light on a generation of LA artists, The Box quickly established itself as a venturesome gallery and one of the most important in the city.—
Maximilíano Durón,
ARTnews.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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People drove up and opened trunks to reveal boxes and shopping bags full of ancient yellowed papers.—
Mary Norris,
New Yorker,
1 May 2026
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Later, Mercury in Aries aligns with Chiron, opening the door for honest conversations that can repair something important.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2026
Verb
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To ensure the fairness and credibility of our readers’ poll, any votes originating from the same IP address that exceed 20 submissions will be excluded from the final tally.—
Aegis Staff,
Baltimore Sun,
28 Apr. 2026
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The ticket also includes lounge access and — for flights originating in Paris and six other cities in France — transportation to the airport in a premium vehicle.—
Beth Landman,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The magnet induces the magnetic flux change needed to initiate the plasma and maintain the plasma current during the burn time.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Apr. 2026
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Don’t try any physical contact, including a handshake, unless the royal initiates it.—
Veronica Bravo,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Such heavy loads of dust are generally thought to arise much later in cosmic history than circa 400 million years after the big bang, the epoch at which this newfound galaxy appears.—
Jenna Ahart,
Scientific American,
30 Apr. 2026
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Working with predominantly Latino families, Barba said the nine-week intervention, which usually consists of six to 10 community members, became a way to help people deal with fear arising from the immigration enforcement activities happening in Lake County as well as throughout the Chicago area.—
Steve Sadin,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Carter also co-founded a non-profit in his community called The Local Voice, which aided women fighting breast cancer.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
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The story of the site, which was subsequently bought by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp in 2005, is told in MySpace, a documentary directed by Tommy Avallone and produced by Gunpowder & Sky, the company founded by former MTV boss Van Toffler.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Begin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/begin. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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