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 begun
Indonesia -- the world's most populous Muslim-majority country -- said Tuesday that its military had begun training personnel to serve in Gaza, specifically for reconstruction and humanitarian response.
—
Arkansas Online, 11 Feb. 2026
Netflix, already a competitor to legacy TV, has also begun to feature podcasts on its service after striking a deal to license shows from Simmons’ slate at Spotify, iHeartMedia and Barstool Sports.
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 11 Feb. 2026
Remodeling has already begun on the new building, which used to be a Big Lots.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Feb. 2026
Medical workers have begun quietly doing their own record-keeping.
—Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 11 Feb. 2026
With few vacancies in the Prospect–Lefferts Gardens buildings and some of the residents seeking more space, Hertz has begun sending them to the Midwood buildings.
—Daniel Yadin, Curbed, 11 Feb. 2026
While former boom towns in Florida and Texas have begun to struggle with rising costs, the Carolinas have maintained a sweet spot of relative value and high quality of life, according to McShane.
—Charlotte Observer, 11 Feb. 2026
The plows and hoes will have to wait — the search for love has begun.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Feb. 2026
Efforts have since begun to correct this tragedy.
—Bill Swank, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
Arkansas Online, 11 Feb. 2026
Netflix, already a competitor to legacy TV, has also begun to feature podcasts on its service after striking a deal to license shows from Simmons’ slate at Spotify, iHeartMedia and Barstool Sports.
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 11 Feb. 2026
Remodeling has already begun on the new building, which used to be a Big Lots.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Feb. 2026
Medical workers have begun quietly doing their own record-keeping.
—Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 11 Feb. 2026
With few vacancies in the Prospect–Lefferts Gardens buildings and some of the residents seeking more space, Hertz has begun sending them to the Midwood buildings.
—Daniel Yadin, Curbed, 11 Feb. 2026
While former boom towns in Florida and Texas have begun to struggle with rising costs, the Carolinas have maintained a sweet spot of relative value and high quality of life, according to McShane.
—Charlotte Observer, 11 Feb. 2026
The plows and hoes will have to wait — the search for love has begun.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Feb. 2026
Efforts have since begun to correct this tragedy.
—Bill Swank, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for begun
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
-
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
-
The case traces back to April 2025, when the Justice Department initiated compliance reviews of Harvard’s undergraduate, law, and medical school admissions programs.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The concept was also explored with the Airborne Laser project, initiated in 1996 and tested in 2007, when a laser with one megawatt of power was mounted on a Boeing 747.—
Deni Ellis Béchard,
Scientific American,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But questions of student safety have arisen in other communities as the walkouts persist.—
Molly Morrow,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The Fort Worth district has about 9,200 miles of roads, and as the region grows, transportation challenges have arisen.—
Briauna Brown,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Even the topical songs of the sixties folk movement constituted a revival, a reinvention of the Popular Front-style political art of the thirties and forties, for the waning years of McCarthyism.—
Mitch Therieau,
New Yorker,
7 Feb. 2026
-
None of which should be constituted as a failure.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
And there’ve been many times throughout filming this where Paul and I were just sort of stranded, the two of us, and that offers a huge opportunity to bond.—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Historically, the Air Jordan 15 been one of the least popular of Jordan’s signature shoes, but there is a segment of people who appreciate its oddball design, including Billie Eilish, who collaborated on it in 2021 and calls it her favorite Air Jordan.—
Ian Servantes,
Footwear News,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Begun.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/begun. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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