launched

verb

past tense of launch
1
as in founded
to be responsible for the creation and early operation or use of after retiring, he launched a small company devoted to making medical devices

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in began
to take the first step in (a process or course of action) she launched a career in journalism after quitting acting school

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in threw
to send through the air especially with a quick forward motion of the arm infantrymen launching grenades at the nest of machine gunners

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 launched Styles launched his solo career in 2017 and has since released four studio albums. — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026 Khamenei was killed along with several members of his family in an airstrike as the US and Israel launched their war with Iran on February 28. — Xiaoqian Lin, CNN Money, 6 July 2026 The event organizers were largely aligned with the White House, supplanting a bipartisan organization that was launched by Congress a decade ago. — Steven Sloan, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026 The comments mark an escalation in the White House’s rhetoric after Iran first launched drone attacks at four commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday. — Carter Schroppe, The Washington Examiner, 28 June 2026 Legend shares a staggering scale with its two sister ships – Icon of the Seas launched in 2024, and Star of the Seas last year – but features a number of new and reimagined venues and activities. — Nathan Diller, USA Today, 6 July 2026 In a post on X, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the operation was launched in response to multiple militant attacks across the country. — CBS News, 28 June 2026 The first merges Birkenstock’s first-ever sandal, the one-strap Madrid from 1963, featured with the Big Buckle, and is merged with its successor, the Arizona sandal launched in 1973 and defined by the brand’s original square buckles. — Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 28 June 2026 An unstoppable force of negativity, something that lasted until Anthropic launched Project Glasswing , which showed the desperate nature of a level of cybersecurity only CrowdStrike and Palo Alto Networks had. — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 5 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for launched
  1. founded
  2. began
  3. threw
  4. established
  5. commenced
  6. hurled
  7. initiated
  8. started
Verb
  • Dioz was co-founded by Johnny, 44, and his brother Tony in 2006.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
  • Love co-founded the Beach Boys in 1961 with his cousins Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson and friend Al Jardine.
    — Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026
Definition of founded
Verb
  • The wedding festivities for Swift and Kelce began on Thursday, July 2, with guests seen arriving at MSG, the Knicks' home arena, for what is believed to be a rehearsal dinner.
    — Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
  • Shortly thereafter, people began sharing stories of allegedly being scammed by Miller in a fantasy football league and scouting service.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 3 July 2026
Definition of began
Verb
  • Robbie Ray threw six efficient innings after regrouping from a fall while covering first base, Willy Adames hit a two-run double as part of a four-run opening frame and the San Francisco Giants beat the Colorado Rockies 6-4 on Saturday night.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 July 2026
  • Fittingly, on Saturday, Yamamoto took the mound against the Padres and threw seven shutout innings.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
Definition of threw
Verb
  • In Wednesday's hearing, DHS said that a law established this year helped create a team that would provide resources to patients who experience disruptions in care.
    — Conor Wight, CBS News, 2 July 2026
  • The bill also established new borrowing caps for parents and graduate students who take out loans, and imposed new restrictions for Pell Grants, among other measures.
    — Alison Durkee, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of established
Verb
  • On Thursday, the star and producer revealed that production has commenced on Fast Forever, which is set for a March 17, 2028 premiere, the 11th and final chapter in the $7 billion action franchise that launched with 2001’s The Fast and the Furious.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 4 July 2026
  • Carlson, whose rights Anaheim traded to Carolina four days before the free agent signing period commenced, joins a defense corps that includes Victor Hedman, who is one year younger and has played five more career regular season games.
    — Tom Layberger, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of commenced
Verb
  • Things hit a boiling point when Contreras leaped into the air and hurled his batting helmet directly at Cavalli.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2026
  • My dad’s stories about his grade-school experience felt like dark fables, peppered with slurs hurled at him by classmates.
    — Rachel Tepper Paley, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 July 2026
Definition of hurled
Verb
  • Waystar Holding — Shares rose 9% after the healthcare payment software provider was initiated at overweight by KeyBanc.
    — Davis Giangiulio,Darla Mercado, CFP®, CNBC, 2 July 2026
  • Sacramento County has demanded the return of any remaining Bradshaw dogs believed to be at the rescue and has initiated legal action to recover them, according to the shelter.
    — Naomi Taxay, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of initiated
Verb
  • Aldo Álvarez started Mercatoria, another online delivery service, in 2021 with three other Cuban partners.
    — Rick Jervis, USA Today, 1 July 2026
  • In 1968, the federal government stepped in and started selling flood insurance managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA.
    — Brian New, CBS News, 1 July 2026
Definition of started

Browse Nearby Words

launch
launched
launcher
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Launched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/launched. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on launched

Nglish: Translation of launched for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All