1
as in began
to take the first step in (a process or course of action)
commence the festivities
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in started
to come into existence
the games commenced early in the morning
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of commenced
Her teammates intercepted her and commenced a celebration that finally elicited a Nelson smile.
—
Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
While most were silent, the few who traded muted pleasantries hushed as the homeowners of the Silver Court Trailer Park commenced their meeting.
—Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
While authorities have not confirmed which festival Gillum may have been targeting, his arrest came just one day before the city of New Orleans commenced its annual Jazz & Heritage Festival, which attracts about 400,000 attendees each year.
—Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
Another round of layoffs commenced in March and affected hundreds of employees working in a variety of units, including Facebook, Reality Labs, global operations and sales.
—Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026
The District immediately commenced an investigation and notified the Nassau County Police Department.
—Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
Installation activities have officially commenced for newcleo’s PRECURSOR facility at the ENEA-Brasimone Research Centre.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 22 Apr. 2026
Netflix also shared other casting info as the shoot commenced.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2026
Additionally, a barely visible scar on her forehead was left from falling asleep in the well as drilling commenced.
—Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
While most were silent, the few who traded muted pleasantries hushed as the homeowners of the Silver Court Trailer Park commenced their meeting.
—Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
While authorities have not confirmed which festival Gillum may have been targeting, his arrest came just one day before the city of New Orleans commenced its annual Jazz & Heritage Festival, which attracts about 400,000 attendees each year.
—Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
Another round of layoffs commenced in March and affected hundreds of employees working in a variety of units, including Facebook, Reality Labs, global operations and sales.
—Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026
The District immediately commenced an investigation and notified the Nassau County Police Department.
—Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
Installation activities have officially commenced for newcleo’s PRECURSOR facility at the ENEA-Brasimone Research Centre.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 22 Apr. 2026
Netflix also shared other casting info as the shoot commenced.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2026
Additionally, a barely visible scar on her forehead was left from falling asleep in the well as drilling commenced.
—Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commenced
Verb
-
Safonov, who began his football career in Krasnodar’s academy aged 12, is not your typical footballer.—
Tom Burrows,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
China’s metals industry began this year with its biggest profits in at least a decade as soaring prices for aluminum and copper handed the sector a major boost.—
Bloomberg,
Bloomberg,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Then the Spurs started the third quarter half on a 13-0 run and erased that lead before the end of the quarter.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Machado, taking advantage of Mexico City’s altitude, launched his third and fourth home runs of the season.—
Dennis Lin,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Israel’s military said Hezbollah launched two rockets toward northern Israel, adding that one was intercepted.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Boys’ Love, also known as BL, is a genre of male romantic stories that originated in Japan and expanded across Asia over the past two decades.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2026
-
According to the royal family's website, the lace was appliquéd using the Carrickmacross lace-making technique, which originated in Ireland in the 1820s.—
Nicole Briese,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Eagles opened the draft with two fourth-round picks.—
Zach Berman,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
His office opened an investigation into the county assessment department in July 2023, according to the report.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The controversy over his military records arose over his previous claim that he was awarded the Bronze Star.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Apr. 2026
-
But as the ball swung around the perimeter, opportunities arose for the likes of Dosunmu and McDaniels to crack the paint off the bounce.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Supreme Court on April 27 appeared divided over whether Bayer can be sued for failing to warn that the company’s Roundup weed killer may cause cancer, hearing arguments in a major case that could block thousands of lawsuits and shield the company from billions of dollars in potential liability.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Some have argued that social media activity amounts to citizen journalism, but mostly citizen journalism appeared to have been displaced or subsumed by social media.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
After Monday night’s Game 4 victory, there was no bravado, no declarations and no viral sound bites waiting to be misinterpreted.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
-
There was no comedian present (there was, however, a mentalist) for this year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner, but that didn’t stop Jimmy Kimmel from presenting his alternative version of what his WHCD monologue might look like on his Thursday, April 23, show.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Commenced.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commenced. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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