start 1 of 4

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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

starting

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verb (2)

present participle of start
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starting

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adjective

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 starting
Noun
When The Mind Wants Progress, But The Body Protests Consider the experience of starting a new job. Inga Bielińska, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025 As the Pentagon was opening up, Palmer Luckey got fired from Facebook and started Anduril. Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 July 2025
Verb
Teenage phenoms striker Mary Long, daughter of Current owners Angie and Chris Long, and right back Katie Scott got their first professional starts and played the entire match. Kansas City Star, 13 July 2025 The aging rock outfit — credited as one of the inventors of heavy metal — played to tens of thousands of fans in Birmingham, England, where the group got its start. Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
Adjective
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 starting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for starting
Noun
  • Recent flooding in Texas at the beginning of the month killed at least 130 people, New York and New Jersey has also just been hit by flash flooding, and the fourth tropical storm of the season is expected to hit the coast of Florida this week.
    Simmone Shah, Time, 15 July 2025
  • Bloc Party appeared on NPR Tiny Desk for the first time with a career-spanning set that goes back to the very beginning.
    Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 15 July 2025
Adjective
  • That makes the the initial 0.5% of income donated to charity not deductible.
    Bruce Brumberg, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
  • Last-minute amendments watered down initial requirements to produce annual impact assessments and mitigate algorithmic discrimination in an attempt to make the bill more palatable to the governor.
    Angela Eichhorst, Hartford Courant, 15 July 2025
Noun
  • According to the outlet, Brinkley was at a graduation ceremony in 2006 to give a commencement speech.
    Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 20 July 2025
  • Sustaining the mission: President Forrest Harris, Sr., an American Baptist alumnus himself, is set to retire following the college's commencement on May 15 after 26 years leading the Nashville institution.
    Laura L. Davis, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Noun
  • Since its inception in 1994, New Faces has been regarded as a premier launchpad, helping to propel the careers of dozens of comedy’s biggest stars — among them, Kevin Hart, Amy Schumer, Ali Wong, Jo Koy, and Kumail Nanjiani.
    Matt Grobar, Deadline, 21 July 2025
  • Practically since its inception, the project has faced fierce opposition from local officials in the resort town, who cite concerns that beachgoers would lose a pristine ocean view if the turbines were visible from shore.
    Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 20 July 2025
Adjective
  • The project is the first to enlist youth to do this monitoring.
    Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 24 July 2025
  • With the first two episodes already having so much drama, the rest of the summer is sure to be eventful.
    Dina Kaur, AZCentral.com, 24 July 2025
Noun
  • During the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, supply-chain disruptions contributed to a 25% spike in import prices (see chart).
    Nick Sargen, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
  • To Reveal Cancer Cells The Good Life: This Viral Pharmacist Says Sunscreen Isn't Enough This Summer Psychedelic Drug May Slow Aging In boys, sucralose stood out as the most significant sweetener associated with early puberty onset.
    Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 July 2025
Noun
  • That’s what makes the launch of Delphi Intelligence notable.
    Sandy Carter, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025
  • One winning act last year, however, needed to travel eight hours in a launch down their local river and then another hour in the Pacific Ocean to reach port city Buenaventura, three hours from Cali.
    John Hopewell, Variety, 15 July 2025

Cite this Entry

“Starting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/starting. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.

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