usher in

verb

ushered in; ushering in; ushers in

transitive verb

1
: to serve to bring into being
a discovery that ushered in a period of change
2
: to mark or observe the beginning of
ushered in the new year with merrymaking
Choose the Right Synonym for usher in

begin, commence, start, initiate, inaugurate, usher in mean to take the first step in a course, process, or operation.

begin, start, and commence are often interchangeable.

begin, opposed to end, is the most general.

begin a trip
began dancing

start, opposed to stop, applies especially to first actions, steps, or stages.

the work started slowly

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

commence firing
commenced a conversation

initiate implies taking a first step in a process or series that is to continue.

initiated diplomatic contacts

inaugurate suggests a beginning of some formality or notion of significance.

the discovery of penicillin inaugurated a new era in medicine

usher in is somewhat less weighty than inaugurate.

ushered in a period of economic decline

Examples of usher in in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Friday ushered in a new era for the Mets, with Ryan Helsley and Cedric Mullins making their team debuts after this week’s trade-deadline frenzy. Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 2 Aug. 2025 Skydance Media is expected to complete its $8 billion purchase of Paramount on Aug. 7, which will usher in a new management regime on the Melrose lot led by Skydance CEO David Ellison and former NBCUniversal leader Jeff Shell. Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 31 July 2025 But in the mid-1800s, pastry change commenced through a bakers’ strike, spurring a shortage of workers in Copenhagen and ushering in a new wave of Austrian bakers. Carinne Geil Botta, Vogue, 31 July 2025 The $205 million project will usher in a new era for the Indianapolis airport, which screened a record 10 million passengers last year and is consistently ranked the best mid-sized airport in North America. Alysa Guffey, IndyStar, 29 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for usher in

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of usher in was circa 1600

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Cite this Entry

“Usher in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/usher%20in. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.

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