1
as in to begin
to take the first step in (a process or course of action)
commence the festivities
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Recent Examples of commence
The three civil claims are set to commence at London's High Court in October 2026.
—
Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Mar. 2026
Lake Zurich Mayor Tom Poynton was part of the annual purple ribbon cutting on the beach before plunging commenced.
—Karie Angell Luc, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026
On the other hand, his jumpstart of World War III has commenced, causing the stock market to tank, oil prices to go through the roof and a level of anxiety gripping the nation as never before.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 9 Mar. 2026
Talks commence Monday, and contracts ratified on Wednesday.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for commence
Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Mar. 2026
Lake Zurich Mayor Tom Poynton was part of the annual purple ribbon cutting on the beach before plunging commenced.
—Karie Angell Luc, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026
On the other hand, his jumpstart of World War III has commenced, causing the stock market to tank, oil prices to go through the roof and a level of anxiety gripping the nation as never before.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 9 Mar. 2026
Talks commence Monday, and contracts ratified on Wednesday.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for commence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commence
Verb
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Richins, wearing a white blouse with pale blue and peach-colored flowers on it, looked down and began breathing heavily when the verdict was announced.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
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All three hits came Michael Lorenzen, who Italy manager Francisco Cervelli originally announced as the team’s starter for the semifinal before changing course and having Aaron Nola begin the game on the mound.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Sign up here to receive an email right as the chat is about to start.—
Carolyn Hax,
Washington Post,
27 Mar. 2026
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The fleet will start replacing the Navy’s aging Ohio-class submarines by the 2030s and will remain operational till 2084.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Over time, Guinness — a dark stout that originated in Dublin — became closely tied to Irish identity.—
Marley Malenfant,
Austin American Statesman,
17 Mar. 2026
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That was an increase of 5 percentage points since 2024 and the highest level of public support for Seoul pursuing a nuclear weapons capability since the poll originated in 2010.—
Amy McAuliffe,
The Conversation,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Questions are answered, only for more to arise again through that process.—
Joseph Hoyt,
Dallas Morning News,
20 Mar. 2026
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The next phases of the website redesign will focus on fixing issues that arise, as well as ongoing maintenance and upkeep.—
Chaya Tong,
Austin American Statesman,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The project does not appear to have been filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation as of Thursday, but an affiliated project's TDLR filings offer more insights into the site development plans.—
Julianna Duennes Russ,
Austin American Statesman,
21 Mar. 2026
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Nam said the cause was not immediately known, but the blaze appeared to have spread rapidly, with witnesses reporting an explosion.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Commence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commence. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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