began

[bih-gan] / bɪˈgæn /

VERB

start

Synonyms

STRONGEST

commence create do establish found go ahead go into inaugurate initiate introduce launch lead make open prepare produce set up undertake

STRONG

activate actualize cause drive effect eventuate generate impel induce instigate institute motivate mount occasion originate trigger

WEAK

break ground break the ice bring about bring to pass embark on enter on enter upon get going give birth to give impulse lay foundation for make active plunge into set about set in motion

Antonyms

STRONGEST

cease close conclude destroy end fail finish halt ignore lose neglect ruin stop

STRONG

check discourage dissuade prevent repress

WEAK

complete consummate die

VERB

come into being; become functional

Synonyms

STRONGEST

appear come out commence emerge enter happen occur rise set start take off

STRONG

arise bud dawn emanate germinate originate sail spring sprout

WEAK

be born come forth come into existence crop up derive from get going get show on road get under way grow out of issue forth kick off make tick proceed from result from send off stem from

Antonyms

STRONGEST

complete disappear end finish hide leave stop

STRONG

die shrink

WEAK

conclude consummate

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“What began as an AI infrastructure bottleneck is now spreading into hardware margins, device affordability, cloud costs, inflation, and policy,” Kim wrote.

From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026

Digwa, who is Sikh, was carrying a knife in a sheath on his belt which Nowak then began filming on his phone, the judge said.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026

The history of global corporations arguably began in 1600, when a royal charter from Queen Elizabeth I granted the British East India Company a monopoly on Asian sea trade.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026

Fearing the worst, however, voters who normally couldn’t tell a “jungle primary” from a jungle gym began thinking a lot like gimlet-eyed political strategists.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026

Her world consisted of this cubicle and the corridor outside—and soon I began to see the wisdom of this narrowed vision, and why prisoners instinctively shied away from questions about their larger lives.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom