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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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
  • Like Thomas [Bangalter] did help us at the very beginning on a couple of things, doing pre-mastering.
    Seth Abramovitch, The Hollywood Reporter, 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
Adjective
  • While the team has become the most successful spring football league franchise, dating back to the years of the initial United States Football League in the 1980s, the Stallions’ growing trophy collection hasn’t quite translated to the team’s bottom line.
    Eric Jackson, Sportico.com, 6 Mar. 2025
  • Seeing its initial advantage on the boards evaporate, UConn went into the break trailing, 37-33.
    Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 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
  • Since its inception, NASA has selected 61 women to be astronauts, and the first all-female spacewalk, carried out by NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir, occurred outside the International Space Station in October 2019.
    Ashley Strickland, CNN, 27 Feb. 2025
  • The whiskies that make up the blend have matured under the watch of all five of the master blenders Royal Salute has had since its inception.
    Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Now Tennessee has staked a claim to the first No. 1 seed in program history with a stirring comeback, charging back from a nine-point deficit in the final 10 minutes.
    Joe Rexrode, The Athletic, 2 Mar. 2025
  • On the other hand, Creed is a seasoned campaigner in the Xfinity Series but is still chasing his first win.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 2 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
  • The launch of the lunar landing could come just more than a year after Intuitive Machines ushered in America's first return to the moon in more than 50 years.
    Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 25 Feb. 2025
  • Abbott Title: Executive Vice President & Group President, Medical Devices Industry: Healthcare Notable in 2024: Earnhardt oversaw the launch of Lingo, a wearable disease-prevention device that uses AI to track glucose levels and guide the user to healthier habits.
    Alexandra Ferreyros, CNBC, 24 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Start.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/start. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.

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