1
as in to establish
to be responsible for the creation and early operation or use of
no one knows who initiated written language
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to introduce
to impart knowledge of a new thing or situation to
initiated the new recruits in the unspoken laws of military conduct
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to inaugurate
to put into an office or welcome into an organization with special ceremonies
initiated her as Surgeon General before an army of reporters and photographers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 initiate
Studies show approximately 70% of divorces are initiated by women, and according to the Institute for Family Studies, the divorce rate for people 65 and older was 15% in 2022.
—
Ilyssa Panitz, Flow Space, 2 June 2025
From there, a fielder’s choice finally got the Yankees an out, as Goldschmidt initiated a rundown that prevented Freeman from scoring.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 31 May 2025
The weekend after the patrol was initiated, several dogs matching the description of those involved in the attack were located roughly 2 miles from Thibeaux’s property, seemingly dumped, according to court documents.
—Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 30 May 2025
Qatar reportedly wants a memorandum of understanding o say the deal was initiated by the Trump administration and that Qatar is not responsible for any future transfers of the plane's ownership.
—Alexx Altman-Devilbiss, Baltimore Sun, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for initiate
Ilyssa Panitz, Flow Space, 2 June 2025
From there, a fielder’s choice finally got the Yankees an out, as Goldschmidt initiated a rundown that prevented Freeman from scoring.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 31 May 2025
The weekend after the patrol was initiated, several dogs matching the description of those involved in the attack were located roughly 2 miles from Thibeaux’s property, seemingly dumped, according to court documents.
—Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 30 May 2025
Qatar reportedly wants a memorandum of understanding o say the deal was initiated by the Trump administration and that Qatar is not responsible for any future transfers of the plane's ownership.
—Alexx Altman-Devilbiss, Baltimore Sun, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for initiate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for initiate
Verb
-
In spite of his ability to carry the ball forward — a point of difference from his fellow midfielders — Willock has never quite established himself as integral, at least in part because of his struggles with injury.—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
6 June 2025
-
Over the course of his prolific, three-decade career, the American filmmaker has established a signature aesthetic and working style that could convince any actor to beg him for a part — almost any actor.—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
5 June 2025
Verb
-
Other apps have introduced similar height filters (though Tinder remains the most popular among them — at least 14% of American adults have used it, per Pew Research Center).—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN Money,
7 June 2025
-
Though Starlink may be off the table for many domestic fliers, at least in the short term, United has introduced new ways for travelers to distract themselves in recent weeks.—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
7 June 2025
Verb
-
Meanwhile, Martens will inaugurate his tenure at Margiela with an Artisanal collection due to be unveiled on July 9 at 7.30 p.m. After presenting his first couture collection for Valentino in January, Alessandro Michele is sitting out this season.—
Joelle Diderich,
Footwear News,
2 June 2025
-
In March 2025, Turkey and Azerbaijan inaugurated a new gas pipeline connecting Nakhichevan to Turkey’s gas grid, and thus reduced Nakhichevan’s decades-old reliance on Iranian energy.—
Zaur Shiriyev,
Foreign Affairs,
26 May 2025
Verb
-
The suit, filed Friday, comes just three days after NPR launched a similar legal challenge on behalf of its radio network.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 May 2025
-
Today's results mirrored those of Starship Flight 7, which launched on Jan. 16.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
30 May 2025
Verb
-
Avnet, who in 2017 was named Manager of the Year by Pollstar and inducted into the Personal Managers Hall of Fame, never signed a contract with any of his artists.—
Mike Barnes,
HollywoodReporter,
28 May 2025
-
In 2022, she was ranked among the top five Nurse Influencers on LinkedIn by industry sources and was also inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing for her efforts to combat disruptive behaviors in healthcare.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
28 May 2025
Verb
-
Ronaldo’s post on social media on Monday, when Al Nassr played the final match of their season, then created more conversation.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
28 May 2025
-
Defense created easy offense and in the halfcourt, the ball skipped around.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
28 May 2025
Verb
-
For Pinterest Ads Manager, install the Pinterest tag.—
Paul Ross,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
-
Chesterton will install a bathroom and shower on the building’s second floor.—
Jim Woods,
Chicago Tribune,
4 June 2025
Verb
-
El Salvador is still pioneering with its regulation around bitcoin, digital assets, and real-world assets, and if Panama finally enacts its own law and plan, other neighboring countries could feel compelled to do so.—
Javier Bastardo,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
-
Google pioneered and popularized AI features in its Pixel phones.—
Simon Hill,
Wired News,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Initiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/initiate. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share