usher in

verb

ushered in; ushering in; ushers in

transitive verb

: to serve to bring into being

a discovery that ushered in a period of change

: to mark or observe the beginning of

ushered in the new year with merrymaking

Choose the Right Synonym for usher in

begin, commence, start, initiate, inaugurate, usher in mean to take the first step in a course, process, or operation.

begin, start, and commence are often interchangeable.

begin, opposed to end, is the most general.

begin a trip

began dancing

start, opposed to stop, applies especially to first actions, steps, or stages.

the work started slowly

commence can be more formal or bookish than begin or start.

commence firing

commenced a conversation

initiate implies taking a first step in a process or series that is to continue.

initiated diplomatic contacts

inaugurate suggests a beginning of some formality or notion of significance.

the discovery of penicillin inaugurated a new era in medicine

usher in is somewhat less weighty than inaugurate.

ushered in a period of economic decline

Examples of usher in in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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.

Lin has been a steady hand in Netflix’s film operations for two-and-a-half years, ushered in to stop the lavish spending of the streamer’s formative Scott Stuber era. — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 17 Oct. 2026 The storms will usher in colder temperatures this weekend, including a threat of frost and freeze Sunday morning. — Gregory Padgett, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 King Princess, ushered in a new era for her experiments in sonically fluid sapphic pop. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026 Next week a massive trough of cooler low pressure air is set to dip down as early as Tuesday from the Gulf of Alaska, ushering in temps well below normal and a chance of showers and mountain snow. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for usher in

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of usher in was circa 1600

See more words from the same year

Browse Nearby Words

usherette

usher in

usherless

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Usher in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/usher%20in. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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usher in

verb

Examples of usher in in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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