1
as in establishes
to be responsible for the creation and early operation or use of
no one knows who initiated written language
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in introduces
to impart knowledge of a new thing or situation to
initiated the new recruits in the unspoken laws of military conduct
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in inaugurates
to put into an office or welcome into an organization with special ceremonies
initiated her as Surgeon General before an army of reporters and photographers
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 initiates
Baird initiates Commvault as outperform Baird says the software company is best positioned.
—
Michael Bloom, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2025
Members of Detroit’s police oversight board are calling for changes to how the department initiates minor stops after two recent police shootings that began with stops for drinking in a parking lot and an obscured license plate.
—Violet Ikonomova, Freep.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Saturn retrograde in Pisces initiates a minor frustrations within this lunation.
—Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 20 Oct. 2025
The office typically initiates communication by letter, Settle said.
—Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2025
Incidents when a person intentionally or unintentionally initiates contact, including spearfishing and releasing sharks from nets or hooks, are not included in the report.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 13 Feb. 2025
Michael Bloom, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2025
Members of Detroit’s police oversight board are calling for changes to how the department initiates minor stops after two recent police shootings that began with stops for drinking in a parking lot and an obscured license plate.
—Violet Ikonomova, Freep.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Saturn retrograde in Pisces initiates a minor frustrations within this lunation.
—Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 20 Oct. 2025
The office typically initiates communication by letter, Settle said.
—Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2025
Incidents when a person intentionally or unintentionally initiates contact, including spearfishing and releasing sharks from nets or hooks, are not included in the report.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 13 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for initiates
Verb
-
Meanwhile the Magisterium has come under the control of one Marcel Delamare, an ideologue who establishes a quasi-fascist regime in Britain.—
Lev Grossman,
The Atlantic,
23 Oct. 2025
-
The faculty group said the question was specifically meant to address the controversial antisemitism bill — AB 715 — Newsom signed earlier this month, which establishes a new Office of Civil Rights and a statewide Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator in an effort to rein in antisemitism in schools.—
Molly Gibbs,
Mercury News,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
For the Fed, that introduces a serious blind spot.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
24 Oct. 2025
-
From a Christmas Toy Drive to a family dinner full of surprises where Kayleigh introduces Darren to Denise (Jackée Harry), her mom, the two clash and connect in a series of moments that are both funny and heartfelt.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In theory, this transition inaugurates a chapter of enfranchisement, but in the next scene the Senegalese businessmen are in suits, and the white men return with briefcases full of money as bribes.—
Lovia Gyarkye,
IndieWire,
19 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
23 Oct. 2025
-
The nonprofit museum maintains the property and educates the public on Fort Lauderdale’s rich — and relatively young — history.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Earth’s magnetic field radiates from our planet’s poles, arcs deep into space, and creates a vast, magnetic bubble, known as the magnetosphere, that protects us from the solar wind.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Just as the close loss at Oregon served as the cornerstone of their playoff-worthy resume last year, the loss at South Florida creates a giant stain this season.—
Jon Wilner,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
If a Gulf state’s security partner installs its military personnel in that state, then a large-scale attack on that Gulf state will almost certainly lead to significant casualties among the security partner’s ranks, inevitably dragging it into the conflict.—
Omar Al-Ubaydli,
semafor.com,
8 Oct. 2025
-
These links may lead to phishing sites designed to steal your credentials or malware that installs silently on your device.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The series, which launches on October 28, is produced by Bloomberg, in partnership with No Smiling.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Without hesitation, Estevao launches himself and tries an overhead kick.—
Simon Johnson,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Initiates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/initiates. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share