as in beginnings
the point at which something begins
there was a large turnout at the commencement of the conference, but the numbers dwindled as it progressed
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commencements
Noun
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The beginnings of it are depicted in true disaster movie style, with ominous music and a collapsing electric pylon that causes a faulty cable to fall to the ground.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
6 Sep. 2025 -
Here is the emphasis on the hardscrabble beginnings and obstacles to be overcome, here is the recognition of a truly raw but once-in-a-lifetime talent that converts the nonbelivers, here are the early wins and the training montages and the tragedies and the comebacks.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The Red Sox now have five starters on the IL (Dustin May went down this week), leaving them one injury away from potentially starting either Connelly Early or Payton Tolle — who have four major-league starts between them — in a must-win wild-card game.—
Chad Jennings,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
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Fresh starts aren’t failure—they’re freedom.—
Marie Quintana,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Among those diehard fans is Anthony Gomez, the managing partner at Rocket Ranch, a riverside campground along the Rio Grande with a facility for viewing launches that’s so close to Starship’s pad that attendees must sign safety waivers.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
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Rocket Lab's Electron, another rocket popular for dedicated launches of small satellites, lacks the performance required for Astroscale's mission.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
12 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Commencements.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commencements. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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