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.

The crisis began Thursday, when one of the tanks began to experience an increase in temperature, which triggered temporary evacuations.

From Los Angeles Times • May 25, 2026

There was a 15% rise in incidents between 2019, when the organisation began collecting data, and 2024.

From BBC • May 25, 2026

In 2022, temperatures in the UK soared above 40C for the first time since records began.

From Barron's • May 25, 2026

The tale of Athenian overreach is better known today than its Spartan counterpart, largely because Thucydides, one of antiquity’s finest historians, captured it in his account of the Peloponnesian War, which began in 431 B.C.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026

The more I thought about it, the more I began to think that maybe there was a ring of truth about Lizzie’s elephant.

From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo