start 1 of 4

1
as in to jump
to move suddenly and sharply (as in surprise) I started from my chair when I heard the sudden scream

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
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start

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noun

starting

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adjective

starting

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verb (2)

present participle of start
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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
Photographed by Ace Amir When Melancon started masking some 30 years ago, the accepted story of the Mardi Gras Indians started with the slave revolt. Harriet Shepherd, Vogue, 5 Mar. 2025 According to the Safety Action Plan website, the plan started to be developed in summer 2024 and will be completed this spring. Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2025
Noun
After nine starts, five sacks and 22 tackles last season, Bosa commanded more than $36 million of the Chargers’ salary cap in 2025, the largest cap hit for any edge rusher in the league, according to Overthecap.com. Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2025 Mittelstadt had a strong postseason for Colorado and got off to a good start this season, but his game has since taken a downturn. Peter Baugh, The Athletic, 6 Mar. 2025
Verb
Perhaps Finch is leaning on a couple of recent games against high-caliber competition for optimism about his starting five. Jon Krawczynski, The Athletic, 5 Jan. 2025 Pickett is active but not starting, meaning Tanner McKee gets an opportunity to make his first NFL start. Adam Gretz, The Athletic, 5 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for start
Recent Examples of Synonyms for start
Noun
  • The Dow Jones Industrial Average is now down 2.1% since the beginning of President Donald Trump ’s second term.
    Jason Gewirtz, CNBC, 7 Mar. 2025
  • Post has been dating Christy Lee since the beginning of this year, sources told the outlet.
    Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Seeing its initial advantage on the boards evaporate, UConn went into the break trailing, 37-33.
    Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 6 Mar. 2025
  • One of the fastest-growing trends is Access-as-a-Service, where initial access brokers specialize in infiltrating networks and then selling entry points to ransomware groups and other threat actors.
    Tony Bradley, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Following the commencement of the band’s U.K. and Ireland tour, Fontaines D.C.’s fourth LP Romance rises 15 places to finish the week at No. 13; the record originally went to No. 2 in August, and was beaten to the top spot during Carpenter’s reign at the top of the charts.
    Thomas Smith, Billboard, 6 Dec. 2024
  • In 1979, Radner gave the commencement speech—fully in character as Roseanne Roseannadanna—to the graduating class at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, part of which wound up on her comedy album Gilda Radner: Live From New York, released that same year.
    Adrienne LaFrance, The Atlantic, 15 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • This program has provided life-saving HIV/AIDS care to low-income countries since 2003, and has saved more than 26 million lives since its inception.
    Omer Awan, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
  • Over the past nearly 20 years since its inception, BlizzCon has inspired us to innovate, push the boundaries of creativity, and deliver once-in-a-lifetime moments.
    Jennifer Maas, Variety, 11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • People were coming up and saying, ‘Is this really your first song?’.
    Richard Sutcliffe, The Athletic, 14 Mar. 2025
  • But, this article also served as our first case study into how the snowpack, terrain, weather, and, most importantly, human factors caused this accident.
    Ashley Thess, Outdoor Life, 14 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Exercise increases core temperature, leading to a more rapid decline in temperature post-exercise, hastening sleep onset and deepening sleep.
    Jesse Pines, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
  • Cowart’s mother, Faye Cowart, has early onset Alzheimer’s and struggles with being in a new place.
    Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC News, 4 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • If successful, Starship's reusability could significantly reduce the cost per launch.
    Scott Neuman, NPR, 8 Mar. 2025
  • The flight profile called for the Super Heavy booster to fly back to the launch tower caught on the tower’s pivoting arms called chopsticks.
    Angie DiMichele, Sun Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Start.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/start. Accessed 19 Mar. 2025.

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