Synonyms of began

began

verb

past tense of begin

1

as in commenced

to take the first step in (a process or course of action)

she began walking to work for exercise

Synonyms & Similar Words

• commenced
• started
• opened
• launched
• created
• fell (to)
• initiated
• set about
• entered (into or upon)
• embarked (on or upon)
• struck (into)
• got to
• got off
• got going
• established
• organized
• led off
• adopted
• originated
• generated
• founded
• invented
• kicked off
• inaugurated
• instituted
• pioneered
• spawned
• innovated
• took up
• took on
• embraced
• fathered
• set up
• got down (to)
• got around (to)
• got round (to)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ended
• concluded
• finished
• stopped
• ceased
• terminated
• completed
• halted
• discontinued
• quit
• closed
• laid off
• left
• abandoned
• quitted
• desisted
• destroyed
• abolished
• knocked off
• extinguished
• demolished
• forsook
• exterminated
• phased out

2

as in started

to come into existence

the storm began late in the day and lasted all night

Synonyms & Similar Words

• started
• commenced
• originated
• arose
• appeared
• was
• formed
• emerged
• arrived
• sprang
• dawned
• set in
• sprung
• materialized
• existed
• engendered
• broke
• lived
• continued
• actualized
• lasted
• breathed
• persisted
• came on
• subsisted
• survived
• endured
• coalesced
• shaped (up)
• cohered

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• stopped
• ended
• ceased
• concluded
• finished
• halted
• terminated
• discontinued
• disappeared
• quit
• died
• vanished
• dissolved
• evaporated
• quitted
• desisted
• departed
• expired
• perished
• passed away

3

as in founded

to be responsible for the creation and early operation or use of

the religious sect was begun by a small breakaway faction

Synonyms & Similar Words

• founded
• established
• initiated
• pioneered
• introduced
• launched
• created
• started
• instituted
• inaugurated
• planted
• constituted
• originated
• constructed
• organized
• developed
• innovated
• invented
• set up
• devised
• authored
• produced
• conceived
• manufactured
• thought (up)
• made up
• expanded
• concocted
• funded
• cooked (up)
• contrived
• fathered
• enlarged
• financed
• arranged
• endowed
• fabricated
• subsidized
• reinstituted
• reinitiated
• relaunched
• systematized
• systemized
• refounded
• put up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• closed (down)
• shut (up)
• ended
• stopped
• finished
• phased out
• abolished
• halted
• nullified
• annulled
• terminated
• annihilated
• rounded (off or out)
• wrapped up
• wound up
• winded up

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of began

Russell’s touchdown came 3 plays after Green ran for 35 yards on the first play of the possession that began at midfield. —Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 2025

LaFleur began his Packer career going 8-0 against the NFC North and was 15-3 in his first three seasons. —Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025

Learning new methods of connecting with students Velasco began experimenting with incorporating activities into his lesson plans. —Erick Trevino, AZCentral.com, 7 Sep. 2025

Mike Yastrzemski began the game with a leadoff walk. —Kansas City Star, 7 Sep. 2025

What began as a quick bite to hold me over until dinner turned into a fully fledged feast of lemon tagliolini with swordfish ragu, maccheroncini cacio e pepe with citrus, and paccheri pasta with tomatoes, burrata, and basil. —Susmita Baral, Travel + Leisure, 7 Sep. 2025

More than 50 years ago, Migrant Legal Aid (MLA) began showing up in places like these, often unseen and uninvited, to defend the dignity, health and livelihood of farmworkers. —David Rodriguez Muñoz, Freep.com, 7 Sep. 2025

Within days, scientists began lobbying for a replacement. —Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 6 Sep. 2025

Webb, which then began its cosmic operations in July 2022, was designed to operate for up to 10 years. —Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025