start 1 of 4

verb (1)

ˈstärt How to pronounce start (audio)
Definition of startnext
1
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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2
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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3
as in to activate
to cause to function trying to start the car on a frigid morning

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

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

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6
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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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in activates
to cause to function trying to start the car on a frigid morning

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

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
In 1982, a series of women’s and girls’ bodies started to appear in the fields near Route 99 in Washington. —Emma Alpern, Vulture, 28 Jan. 2025 Jimenez-Rico’s family had just returned home from a trip to Mexico when his dad and sister, 22-year-old Jocelyn Jimenez, started criticizing him about dirty dishes, according to records obtained by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. —Mitchell Willetts, Kansas City Star, 28 Jan. 2025
Noun
As of Monday, data from the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) show that despite the abnormally dry start to winter for Southern California, most of the state's major reservoirs are performing above average for this time of year. —Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 27 Jan. 2025 Reid got off to a fast start Saturday night for the host Bulldogs, scoring eight of his team-high 16 points in the first quarter of a cliffhanger 53-47 loss to Burlington Central. —Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 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

Thesaurus Entries Near start

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 2 Feb. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on start

Nglish: Translation of start for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of start for Arabic Speakers

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