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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

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start

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noun

started

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verb (2)

past tense 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
That’s quite a feat for a team that started playing football in 1925. Josh Kendall, The Athletic, 24 Dec. 2024 The cold of the night had returned, and the baby had started to shiver. Karen Zautyk, New York Daily News, 24 Dec. 2024 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
  • For example, in the experiment, oaths were more effective when they were placed at the end, just before participants reported their income, rather than at the very beginning of the game.
    IESE Business School, Forbes, 7 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
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
  • This marked the second consecutive test flight that ended in Starship—the largest space launch system ever built—exploding in flight.
    Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 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 14 Mar. 2025.

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