1
as in commenced
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 started
to come into existence
the storm began late in the day and lasted all night
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in founded
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 began
The Seahawks’ victory completed a season that began with an NFC West loss to the 49ers at Lumen Field.
—
Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
The show began with Bad Bunny peering through some tall grass as if in a sugar cane field in Puerto Rico.
—Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 9 Feb. 2026
The Post began to bleed talent while its competitors siphoned off its subscribers, at times directly appealing to Post readers.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 9 Feb. 2026
Talaysia Cooper, who began her college career with the Gamecocks, led Tennessee with 17 points.
—Arkansas Online, 9 Feb. 2026
Linh Pham for The New York Times To Lam was already Vietnam’s top leader when last month’s Communist Party congress began.
—New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Franco began traveling to the island in the late 1990s.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 8 Feb. 2026
Indeed, nearly a third of the league’s head coaching jobs became available when what began as a potentially mild coaching carousel turned nutty.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 1 Feb. 2026
In 2004, Beyoncé began her solo reign, snagging five of the six Grammys her debut album Dangerously in Love had been nominated for.
—Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 1 Feb. 2026
Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
The show began with Bad Bunny peering through some tall grass as if in a sugar cane field in Puerto Rico.
—Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 9 Feb. 2026
The Post began to bleed talent while its competitors siphoned off its subscribers, at times directly appealing to Post readers.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 9 Feb. 2026
Talaysia Cooper, who began her college career with the Gamecocks, led Tennessee with 17 points.
—Arkansas Online, 9 Feb. 2026
Linh Pham for The New York Times To Lam was already Vietnam’s top leader when last month’s Communist Party congress began.
—New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Franco began traveling to the island in the late 1990s.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 8 Feb. 2026
Indeed, nearly a third of the league’s head coaching jobs became available when what began as a potentially mild coaching carousel turned nutty.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 1 Feb. 2026
In 2004, Beyoncé began her solo reign, snagging five of the six Grammys her debut album Dangerously in Love had been nominated for.
—Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 1 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for began
Verb
-
TikTok and Snap settled with a plaintiff involved in the case before the trial commenced.—
Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Bad Bunny commenced his historic performance with a stage set evoking Puerto Rican history, beginning with the brutal legacy of Spanish imperialism on the island.—
Raquel Reichard,
Refinery29,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Belgium international has started to utilise his physical traits, increasingly aggressive in duels and more willing to dominate his opponent.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Villa, who started the taqueria as a pop-up in the Highland Park neighborhood in 2018, took to Instagram to express gratitude for the opportunity, underscoring his family’s immigrant background.—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Woodson earned degrees from Berea College (Kentucky) and the University of Chicago before earning a doctorate from Harvard in 1912, according to the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, an organization Woodson founded in 1915.—
Alex Perry,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Meanwhile the National Citizen Party (NCP), a political party founded by students following the uprising, has struggled to meaningfully muscle its way into Bangladesh’s fractious and often violent political scene.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Seattle opened as the favorite to win next year’s Super Bowl on BetMGM.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Her grandfather opened Lewis Street Auto Body, which is still in the family.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In fact, the phrase originated in cricket and spread to many sports, including soccer, darts and horse racing.—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The sport originated in 16th century Scotland, where people slid rough stones on frozen lakes.—
Asuka Koda,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Although, an official shade of blue has not been established for the flag.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Cannon established Coppermark and almost immediately reached out to Stephanie Lee, a roofing contractor and independent adjuster with extensive experience in hail, wind, and tornado damage.—
J.C. Hallman,
Oklahoman,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In 2020, the WEF launched a Reskilling Revolution, a global initiative to help people gain education, skills, and job opportunities in anticipation of the changing world of work.—
Vicki Salemi,
Boston Herald,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Ford has launched a nationwide search to identify the final three recipients.—
Jamie L. LaReau,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
When talk of protest or political conflict arose this week, Coventry tried to downplay it to keep the focus on the Games.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Among the leading causes, at least 28 were the result of an argument, 22 arose from domestic incidents and 14 had an undetermined motive.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Began.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/began. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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