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.
Mint green is back, ushered in by designers like Matthieu Blazy at Chanel and Simone Rocha in her eponymous line. Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 22 May 2026 By enabling permanent habitability on the Moon, its work will usher in a new era of human spaceflight that could ultimately see humans set foot on Mars and other planetary bodies in our solar system. Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 22 May 2026 Nakazawa, an apprentice of Jiro Ono featured in Jiro Dreams of Sushi, first opened the restaurant in New York in 2013, ushering in the omakase wave in the United States. Kaila Yu, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026 There’s still time before a new season of The Hunting Wives drops—but its star, Malin Akerman is already ushering in a new chapter. India Roby, Architectural Digest, 21 May 2026 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 26 May. 2026.

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