start 1 of 4

verb (1)

ˈstärt How to pronounce start (audio)
Definition of startnext
1
as in to begin
to come into existence the fight started when one child tripped the other

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Relevance

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2
as in to commence
to take the first step in (a process or course of action) we'll be ready to start the concert in a moment

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3
as in to establish
to be responsible for the creation and early operation or use of started the impressionist movement in art

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4
as in to activate
to cause to function trying to start the car on a frigid morning

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5
as in to jump
to move suddenly and sharply (as in surprise) I started from my chair when I heard the sudden scream

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6
as in to protrude
to extend outward beyond a usual point frightened horses with starting eyes

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start

2 of 4

noun (1)

as in beginning
the point at which something begins knew from the start of the game that he would win easily

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starts

3 of 4

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of start
1
as in jumps
to move suddenly and sharply (as in surprise) I started from my chair when I heard the sudden scream

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2
as in founds
to be responsible for the creation and early operation or use of started the impressionist movement in art

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3
as in activates
to cause to function trying to start the car on a frigid morning

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4
as in begins
to come into existence the fight started when one child tripped the other

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5
as in protrudes
to extend outward beyond a usual point frightened horses with starting eyes

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6
as in commences
to take the first step in (a process or course of action) we'll be ready to start the concert in a moment

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starts

4 of 4

noun (2)

plural of start
as in beginnings
the point at which something begins knew from the start of the game that he would win easily

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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 start
Verb
When The Mind Wants Progress, But The Body Protests Consider the experience of starting a new job. —Inga Bielińska, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025 As the Pentagon was opening up, Palmer Luckey got fired from Facebook and started Anduril. —Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 July 2025
Noun
Teenage phenoms striker Mary Long, daughter of Current owners Angie and Chris Long, and right back Katie Scott got their first professional starts and played the entire match. —Kansas City Star, 13 July 2025 The aging rock outfit — credited as one of the inventors of heavy metal — played to tens of thousands of fans in Birmingham, England, where the group got its start. —Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
Verb
An ‘endangered’ town starts planning With federal recognition proving elusive, a Brooklyn school grant writer named Kay Diamond suggested that Rogers and others look to Landmarks Illinois for help. —Jonathan Bullington, Chicago Tribune, 5 Jan. 2025 When things take a shadow turn, Gromit starts to question the true nature of the experiment. —Erik Kain, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for start

Phrases Containing start

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star-spangled
start
started
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Cite this Entry

“Start.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/start. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.

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