1
as in to begin
to take the first step in (a process or course of action)
commence the festivities
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to start
to come into existence
the games commenced early in the morning
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of commence
Falling back to the pack and seven points shy of San Jose, which won 4-1 at BMO Stadium on Sunday, LAFC has seen its recent MLS stumbles coincide with advancing to a two-leg CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinal, which commences Wednesday at BMO Stadium and ends May 6 in Toluca, Mexico.
—
Josh Gross, Daily News, 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
The new pact commences on January 2027 after Butterworth’s current deal with Paramount wraps up at the end of the year.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for commence
Josh Gross, Daily News, 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
The new pact commences on January 2027 after Butterworth’s current deal with Paramount wraps up at the end of the year.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for commence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commence
Verb
-
And of course Mike Brown pulled Mitchell Robinson, who missed four straight free throws when the 76ers began intentionally fouling him in the first quarter, only to continue extending the lead despite the Sixers’ attempts at stifling his rotation.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
5 May 2026
-
Black voters who feared losing representation in Congress opposed that request and argued the justices should instead hold onto their April 29 ruling until after the election because voting in the primary had already begun.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
5 May 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
-
Musk left OpenAI’s board in 2018, and five years later started xAI as a competitor, before merging that business with SpaceX in February.—
Ashley Capoot,
CNBC,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
To ensure the fairness and credibility of our readers’ poll, any votes originating from the same IP address that exceed 20 submissions will be excluded from the final tally.—
Aegis Staff,
Baltimore Sun,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The ticket also includes lounge access and — for flights originating in Paris and six other cities in France — transportation to the airport in a premium vehicle.—
Beth Landman,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Such heavy loads of dust are generally thought to arise much later in cosmic history than circa 400 million years after the big bang, the epoch at which this newfound galaxy appears.—
Jenna Ahart,
Scientific American,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Working with predominantly Latino families, Barba said the nine-week intervention, which usually consists of six to 10 community members, became a way to help people deal with fear arising from the immigration enforcement activities happening in Lake County as well as throughout the Chicago area.—
Steve Sadin,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
With the house emptied of living (and costumed) guests, its furnishings, in all their liveliness, appear only to mask an unnatural torpor.—
Olivia Kan-Sperling,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
-
Its gibbous disk appears small and featureless.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Commence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commence. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
