usher in

verb

ushered in; ushering in; ushers in

transitive verb

1

: to serve to bring into being

a discovery that ushered in a period of change

2

: to mark or observe the beginning of

ushered in the new year with merrymaking

Choose the Right Synonym for usher in

begin, commence, start, initiate, inaugurate, usher in mean to take the first step in a course, process, or operation.

begin, start, and commence are often interchangeable.

begin, opposed to end, is the most general.

begin a trip

began dancing

start, opposed to stop, applies especially to first actions, steps, or stages.

the work started slowly

commence can be more formal or bookish than begin or start.

commence firing

commenced a conversation

initiate implies taking a first step in a process or series that is to continue.

initiated diplomatic contacts

inaugurate suggests a beginning of some formality or notion of significance.

the discovery of penicillin inaugurated a new era in medicine

usher in is somewhat less weighty than inaugurate.

ushered in a period of economic decline

Examples of usher in in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The inauguration of Trump in January ushered in a complete change in the US’ diplomatic focus on the war, with Ukraine and key allies fearful of a significant tilt in US policy towards Moscow. —Catherine Nicholls, CNN Money, 10 May 2025

The repeal ushered in a new era for the state of Arkansas. —Arkansas Online, 10 May 2025

As the Social Security Administration undergoes massive changes and staffing cuts ushered in by the Trump administration, an increasing share of older Americans — particularly Democrats — aren’t confident the benefit will be available to them, a poll shows. —Amelia Thomson-Deveaux, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2025

Venus Williams, Andre Agassi, Boris Becker, Chris Evert and John McEnroe are among TNT Sports’ lineup of legends assembled to usher in a new era of French Open television coverage. —Merlisa Lawrence Corbett, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1