EN

Synonyms for start

67 synonyms
19 antonyms
5 meanings

verb
noun

Most common

begin get set out get going jump wake come out initiate

Synonyms by meaning

Verb

1. Begin

begin, get, set out, get going, go, commence, get on with, leave, set about, get down, run, move, depart, set on foot, open, set forth, embark, part, split, activate, engage in

2. Jump — to move suddenly, from a previous state of rest; to startle. To jerk, jump up, flinch, or draw back in…

jump, wake, startle, shy, shrink, twitch, flinch, wince, blench

3. Come out

come out, pop, protrude, bulge, bug out slang

4. Initiate

initiate, originate

Other

launch, spring, execute, institute

Noun

1. Beginning

beginning, starting time, first, show time, outset, get-go informal, opening, commencement, dawn, onset, initiation, off-set, kickoff, threshold

Other

starting signal, set-off, take-off, start-up, scratch, head start, lead-off, take-up, pop-out, sally, brooch, boot dated

Antonyms

stop, end, finish

All antonyms of start →

Definitions

v. 1
To move suddenly, from a previous state of rest; to startle. To jerk, jump up, flinch, or draw back in surprise.
v. 2
To begin, commence, initiate. To set in motion.
to start a stream of water; to start a rumour; to start a business
v. 3
To begin, commence, initiate. To begin.
The rain started at 9:00.
n. 1
The beginning of an activity.
The movie was entertaining from start to finish.

Related words

Word family: startful startish starter
Phrases: start out start-up from the start kick-start false start fresh start head start start back

Forms

Plural: starts → beginnings, firsts, outsets, openings…
Past participle: started
e.g. started → begun, getten, commenced, leaved…

Example sentences

begin Today more and more people begin to use computers.
commence When will you commence the construction work?
wake I'd like a wake-up call at seven tomorrow morning.
jump Many would jump at the chance to live in New York.

Popularity over time

Word	1850 → 2019	Trend
start		rising
begin		rising
commence		falling
wake		rising

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

2 letters: go¹
3 letters: get¹, run¹, pop¹, shy¹
4 letters: part¹, open², move¹, wake¹, jump¹, dawn¹, boot¹
5 letters: first¹, leave¹, begin², split¹, sally², onset², bulge¹, wince¹
6 letters: spring¹, launch¹, twitch¹, depart², shrink¹, embark², outset², brooch¹, flinch¹, blench
7 letters: opening³, scratch¹, execute³, kickoff², startle²
8 letters: activate³, initiate⁴, commence², protrude²
9 letters: beginning³, institute³, threshold², originate⁴
10 letters: initiation⁵
12 letters: commencement³

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (open² = 2 syllables).

In other languages

Français: commencer