commences

verb

present tense third-person singular of commence
1
as in begins
to take the first step in (a process or course of action) commence the festivities

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in starts
to come into existence the games commenced early in the morning

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 commences The process, in other words, commences with the industrial production of miniature supernovas. — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026 January 2025 to May 2025 Cornell commences a Title IX investigation. — Amy B Wang, Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2026 The pilot commences online and at stores across Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas. — Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026 The Europa League commences with its first league phase fixtures next week, on Wednesday, September 16 and Thursday, September 17. — Leon Imber, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026 The Jet Set to the Beekman package commences with a Blade helicopter flight to Pier 11 in Lower Manhattan (from eligible departure points), where a house car will then take you to the Beekman’s West Turret penthouse. — Spencer Whaley, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026 With a fury inside him, Garfield unleashes violence against them and commences the rebellion. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 16 July 2026 For borrowers looking to purchase a home or refinance their current one in this climate, however, there are also some strategic moves worth considering now, before the Fed's June meeting even commences. — Matt Richardson, CBS News, 12 June 2026 Mercury’s pre-retrograde shadow (the weeks leading up to the celestial backspin when the planet slows down), which began on June 13 in water Cancer, starts the story for the planet’s moonwalk that commences on June 29. — Lisa Stardust, Vogue, 10 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commences
  1. begins
  2. starts
  3. originates
  4. arises
  5. appears
Verb
  • Its arrival begins the process of turning a military transport into a specialized communications platform designed for one of America’s most critical defense missions.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
  • My latest stargazing obsession There's something special about stargazing during the blue hour — that brief transition when daylight drains from the sky and night's window begins to open.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of begins
Verb
  • At this scale, the IDR process starts to affect the broader cost structure within the healthcare industry.
    — Christine Cooper, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Each song starts with Javkar’s words and the feeling or idea behind them.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of starts
Verb
  • The climate phenomenon, which originates in the Pacific and leads to warmer global temperatures, has upended weather across the world, fueling extraordinary storms in the Americas.
    — Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The researchers say the findings therefore don't prove that tinnitus originates in the cochlea.
    — Mike McRae October 07, New Atlas, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of originates
Verb
  • While no business can prepare for every possible disruption, planning ahead can help owners protect their company’s financial health when trouble arises.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The problem arises when the relationship changes but the assumptions surrounding it do not.
    — Murugan Anandarajan, The Conversation, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of arises
Verb
  • His critics see a president who failed to tame inflation and keep America out of overseas conflicts, and whose agenda has fueled higher prices as the war with Iran appears to be at a stalemate.
    — JOSH BOAK, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Two letters redirect actions MuTRAP is a backdoor attack, also known as a Trojan attack, in which malicious behavior is embedded in a model and activated only when a specific trigger appears.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of appears

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commencements
commences
commencing
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Cite this Entry

“Commences.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commences. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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