How to Use originate in a Sentence

originate

verb
  • The sound seemed to originate from outside the room.
  • He did not originate the idea.
  • The book originated as a series of lectures.
  • The custom is believed to have originated in the western U.S.
  • The policy was originated by the previous administration.
  • These stories originated during earlier times.
  • Tax bills must originate in the House but the Senate didn’t want to wait to act.
    Barbara Sprunt, NPR, 11 June 2024
  • The term coleslaw originates from the Dutch word koosla (kool for cabbage and sla for salad).
    Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 12 May 2023
  • The Lyrids originate from the comet Thatcher, which orbits the sun about every 415 years.
    Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Jan. 2023
  • It’s named after pearls, which are the oldest precious stone and the only one that originates in the sea.
    The Salt Lake Tribune, 27 July 2023
  • Tveit originated the lead male role in the stage production, which earned him a Tony Award in 2021.
    Kristen Tauer, WWD, 21 June 2024
  • Ebels, well known for its meats and jerky, originated in Falmouth and has been around since 1920.
    Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 29 Apr. 2023
  • And you'd be shocked to know that a whole lot of those companies originate in China.
    CBS News, 8 Mar. 2023
  • The event opened with a dabke performance, a folk dance that originated in the region.
    Ramishah Maruf, CNN, 25 Oct. 2023
  • The term was coined by journalist Daphne K. Lee years ago, and originates from the Chinese term 'bàofùxìng áoyè.
    Casey Clark, Parents, 12 Aug. 2024
  • But the hottest topic seemed to be one that didn’t originate in Washington at all.
    Maura Judkis, Washington Post, 30 Apr. 2023
  • The spell originated from a witch who turned swans into girls.
    Allegra Goodman, The New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2024
  • Both semis and the long head of the biceps femoris originate at the ischial tuberosity in the pelvis—and that’s important.
    David Otey, Men's Health, 30 Mar. 2023
  • While everything originates in the brain, this wasn’t a problem in her brain.
    Jordan Crucchiola, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2023
  • The track steeplechase, in all its puddled glory, likely originated from the horse event of the same name.
    Lizzy Briskin, SELF, 3 Aug. 2024
  • The question is why milk continues to originate time and again.
    Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 May 2024
  • The map below shows where reports in the U.S. have originated, dating back to 1993.
    USA Today, 30 Mar. 2023
  • Or it might be named after the town of Chester, England, about where this type of pie most likely originated.
    Pam Lolley, Southern Living, 17 Nov. 2023
  • According to the Library of Congress, northern lights originate on the surface of the sun through an ejection of a cloud of gas.
    Drake Bentley, Journal Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2023
  • The butter crock originated in the late 1800s, and using one simply involves adding water to the dish’s base.
    Bryce Jones, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 June 2023
  • The holiday originated from the story of Esther, which is in the Hebrew bible.
    The Arizona Republic, 23 Mar. 2024
  • Most of the iron on those larger bodies is in their core, not their crust, where meteorites originate.
    Byzack Savitsky, science.org, 6 Apr. 2023
  • The soft, creamy cheese is made from cow’s milk and originated in Camembert, Normandy, in northern France.
    Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Mar. 2024
  • Gorgonzola is a specific type of cow's milk blue cheese originating from Italy, particularly the regions of Piedmont and Lombardy.
    Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 20 Oct. 2024
  • Here’s a little history lesson on where Halloween originated.
    Mariyam Muhammad, The Enquirer, 31 Oct. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'originate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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