as in beginning
the point at which something begins
there was a large turnout at the commencement of the conference, but the numbers dwindled as it progressed
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Recent Examples of commencement
The commencement speeches are likely to increase speculation about Moore’s interest in running in 2028, CBS News reported.
—
Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 16 Mar. 2026
At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the senior class president was barred from a 2025 graduation ceremony after delivering a pro-Palestinian speech at a commencement the previous day.
—Jonathan Zimmerman, Chicago Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026
But unlike Hoosier fans, who historically only filled Memorial Stadium for spring commencement ceremonies, Nebraska fans have remained hopelessly devoted to their chronically underperforming team.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 13 Mar. 2026
Erika Kirk, the CEO of Turning Point USA and widow of its founder, Charlie Kirk, will be the 2026 commencement speaker at Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for commencement
Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 16 Mar. 2026
At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the senior class president was barred from a 2025 graduation ceremony after delivering a pro-Palestinian speech at a commencement the previous day.
—Jonathan Zimmerman, Chicago Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026
But unlike Hoosier fans, who historically only filled Memorial Stadium for spring commencement ceremonies, Nebraska fans have remained hopelessly devoted to their chronically underperforming team.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 13 Mar. 2026
Erika Kirk, the CEO of Turning Point USA and widow of its founder, Charlie Kirk, will be the 2026 commencement speaker at Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for commencement
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commencement
Noun
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Without spoiling too much, Kane and Palk get to bond over their Kansas City roots in the beginning of the show.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
4 Apr. 2026
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The geologist Charles Lyell proposed that the very ground beneath mankind’s feet had been reshaped countless times before the beginning of human history and was even now in a state of flux.—
Kathryn Hughes,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Kings came into the game stressing a good start, having been outscored 5-1 in the first period of their previous three outings, and instead face planted to spot the Maple Leafs a 2-0 lead through 20 minutes.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
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Saturday’s quality start was quite a bit more delicate than his last, too.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
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According to Powerball, the jackpot has been hit almost 200 times since the lottery's inception in 1992.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Bollati’s’ family-run business has reported organic growth since its inception, save for the 2008 macro-financial crisis and the 2020 pandemic.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Frankenburg has seen commercial conversations with Gulf states speed up since the onset of the Iran war, CEO Kusti Salm told CNBC.—
Kai Nicol-Schwarz,
CNBC,
31 Mar. 2026
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Roughly 90% of these tumors are diagnosed in patients under 20 years old, often around the onset of puberty, making Tamura an outlier.—
Rachel Hale,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
On Wednesday, the intro to space class at Metropolitan State University of Denver held a watch party for the Artemis II mission launch.—
Olivia Young,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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With new composite material advances further reducing launch mass, these launch costs could be driven down even further.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Commencement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commencement. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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