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start

The beginning of something is the start. The start of the movie may have been a little slow, but by the end you were on the edge of your seat.

As a verb, start means to begin an activity or event. Some people turn to the last page of a book before they even start it, so they'll be prepared for the ending. Start can also mean to move suddenly in surprise or alarm, or to startle. This is actually the original meaning of the word start, which comes from the Old English word styrtan, meaning to caper or to leap up.

PRIMARY MEANINGS OF: start

1
 vn
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
the act of starting something
2
 vn
leave
the advantage gained by beginning early (as in a race)
3
 vn
move or jump suddenly, as if in surprise or alarm
a sudden involuntary movement
4
 v
bulge outward
FULL DEFINITIONS OF: start
1

v take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

“Who will start?”
Synonyms:
begin, commence, get, get down, set about, set out, start out
begin
begin to speak, understand, read, and write a language
Antonyms:
end, terminate
bring to an end or halt
Types:
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recommence
begin again
strike out
set out on a course of action
fall
begin vigorously
jump off
set off quickly, usually with success
get to
arrive at the point of
auspicate
commence in a manner calculated to bring good luck
attack
set to work upon; turn one's energies vigorously to a task
break in
start in a certain activity, enterprise, or role
launch, plunge
begin with vigor
come on
occur or become available
embark, enter
set out on (an enterprise or subject of study)
bestir oneself, get cracking, get going, get moving, get rolling, get started, get weaving
start to be active
take up
pursue or resume

v begin work or acting in a certain capacity, office or job

“start a new job”
Synonyms:
take up
Types:
take office
assume an office, duty, or title
accede, enter
take on duties or office
adopt, assume, take on, take over
take on titles, offices, duties, responsibilities

v set in motion, cause to start

“The U.S. started a war in the Middle East”
Synonyms:
begin, commence, lead off
begin
have a beginning, of a temporal event
Antonyms:
end, terminate
bring to an end or halt
Types:
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jump-start, jumpstart
start or re-start vigorously
recommence
cause to start anew
inaugurate, introduce, usher in
be a precursor of
set off
set in motion or cause to begin
commence, embark on, start up
get off the ground
inaugurate, kick off
commence officially
open
begin or set in action, of meetings, speeches, recitals, etc.

v get off the ground

“Who started this company?”
“I start my day with a good breakfast”
“The blood shed started when the partisans launched a surprise attack”
Synonyms:
commence, embark on, start up
Types:
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inaugurate, kick off
commence officially
open
begin or set in action, of meetings, speeches, recitals, etc.
swear in
administer on oath to
dedicate
open to public use, as of a highway, park, or building
inaugurate
open ceremoniously or dedicate formally
call to order
open formally
Type of:
begin, commence, lead off
set in motion, cause to start

v begin an event that is implied and limited by the nature or inherent function of the direct object

“She started the soup while it was still hot”
“We started physics in 10th grade”
Synonyms:
begin
begin
have a beginning characterized in some specified way
Type of:
act, move
perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)

v get going or set in motion

“We simply could not start the engine”
“start up the computer”
Synonyms:
start up
Antonyms:
stop
cause to stop
Types:
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kick-start
start (a motorcycle) by means of a kick starter
hot-wire
start (a car engine) without a key by bypassing the ignition interlock
re-start, restart
start an engine again, for example
crank, crank up
start by cranking
jump, jump-start, jumpstart
start (a car engine whose battery is dead) by connecting it to another car's battery

v begin or set in motion

“I start at eight in the morning”
Synonyms:
get going, go
Antonyms:
halt, stop
come to a halt, stop moving
Types:
come on, come up, go on
start running, functioning, or operating
get off the ground, take off
get started or set in motion, used figuratively

v bring into being

“Start a foundation”
Synonyms:
initiate, originate
Types:
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initiate, lead up
set in motion, start an event or prepare the way for
set
apply or start
date back, date from, go back
belong to an earlier time
ascend
go back in order of genealogical succession
Type of:
create, make
make or cause to be or to become

v have a beginning, in a temporal, spatial, or evaluative sense

“Prices for these homes start at $250,000”
Synonyms:
begin
begin
have a beginning characterized in some specified way
begin
have a beginning, of a temporal event
Antonyms:
cease, end, finish, stop, terminate
have an end, in a temporal, spatial, or quantitative sense; either spatial or metaphorical
Types:
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break out, erupt
start abruptly
bud
start to grow or develop
break out
begin suddenly and sometimes violently
kick in, set in
enter a particular state
dawn
appear or develop
originate
begin a trip at a certain point, as of a plane, train, bus, etc.

v have a beginning characterized in some specified way

Synonyms:
begin
begin
begin an event that is implied and limited by the nature or inherent function of the direct object
begin
have a beginning, in a temporal, spatial, or evaluative sense
begin
be the first item or point, constitute the beginning or start, come first in a series
Type of:
be
have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun)

v play in the starting lineup

Type of:
play
participate in games or sport

n the act of starting something

Synonyms:
beginning, commencement
Antonyms:
finish, finishing
the act of finishing
Examples:
Creation
(theology) God's act of bringing the universe into existence
Types:
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jumping-off point, point of departure, springboard
a beginning from which an enterprise is launched
activation
making active and effective (as a bomb)
attack, tone-beginning
a decisive manner of beginning a musical tone or phrase
constitution, establishment, formation, organisation, organization
the act of forming or establishing something
debut, entry, first appearance, introduction, launching, unveiling
the act of beginning something new
face-off
(ice hockey) the method of starting play; a referee drops the puck between two opposing players
first step, initiative, opening, opening move
the first of a series of actions
groundbreaking, groundbreaking ceremony
the ceremonial breaking of the ground to formally begin a construction project
housing start
the act of starting to construct a house
icebreaker
a beginning that relaxes a tense or formal atmosphere
inauguration, startup
the act of starting a new operation or practice
creation, foundation, founding, initiation, innovation, instauration, institution, introduction, origination
the act of starting something for the first time; introducing something new
installation, installing, installment, instalment
the act of installing something (as equipment)
jump ball
(basketball) the way play begins or resumes when possession is disputed; an official tosses the ball up between two players who jump in an effort to tap it to a teammate
kickoff
(football) a kick from the center of the field to start a football game or to resume it after a score
recommencement, resumption
beginning again
scrum, scrummage
(rugby) the method of beginning play in which the forwards of each team crouch side by side with locked arms; play starts when the ball is thrown in between them and the two sides compete for possession
startup
the act of setting in operation
induction
the act of bringing about something (especially at an early time)
product introduction
the introduction (usually by an advertising campaign) of a new product or product line
authorship, paternity
the act of initiating a new idea or theory or writing
unionisation, unionization
act of forming labor unions
ushering in
the introduction of something new
curtain raiser
any preliminary activity
first base
the initial stage in accomplishing something
peace initiative
opening move in negotiating a peace treaty
tap-off, tip-off
the act of starting a basketball game with a jump ball
naturalisation, naturalization
the introduction of animals or plants to places where they flourish but are not indigenous
collectivisation, collectivization
the organization of a nation or economy on the basis of collectivism
communisation, communization
the organization of a nation of the basis of communism
federation
the act of constituting a political unity out of a number of separate states or colonies or provinces so that each member retains the management of its internal affairs
colonisation, colonization, settlement
the act of colonizing; the establishment of colonies
Type of:
change of state
the act of changing something into something different in essential characteristics

n the beginning of anything

“it was off to a good start”
Types:
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adrenarche
the increase in activity of the adrenal glands just before puberty
menarche
the first occurrence of menstruation in a woman
thelarche
the start of breast development in a woman at the beginning of puberty
oncoming, onset
the beginning or early stages
dawn, morning
the earliest period
flying start, running start
a quick and auspicious beginning
opener
the first event in a series
alpha
the beginning of a series or sequence
curtain raising, opening, opening night
the first performance (as of a theatrical production)
kickoff, send-off, start-off
a start given to contestants
racing start
the start of a race
flying start, running start
a racing start in which the contestants are already in full motion when they pass the starting line
Type of:
beginning
the event consisting of the start of something

n the time at which something is supposed to begin

“they got an early start”
Synonyms:
beginning, commencement, first, get-go, kickoff, offset, outset, showtime, starting time
Antonyms:
middle
time between the beginning and the end of a temporal period
end, ending
the point in time at which something ends
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Types:
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birth
the time when something begins (especially life)
incipience, incipiency
beginning to exist or to be apparent
starting point, terminus a quo
earliest limiting point
threshold
the starting point for a new state or experience
cradle
birth of a person
Type of:
point, point in time
an instant of time

n a signal to begin (as in a race)

“the runners awaited the start”
Synonyms:
starting signal
Type of:
sign, signal, signaling
any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message

n a line indicating the location of the start of a race or a game

Synonyms:
scratch, scratch line, starting line
Type of:
line
in games or sports; a mark indicating positions or bounds of the playing area

n a turn to be a starter (in a game at the beginning)

“he got his start because one of the regular pitchers was in the hospital”
Synonyms:
starting
Type of:
play, turn
(game) the activity of doing something in an agreed succession
2

v leave

Synonyms:
depart, part, set forth, set off, set out, start out, take off
Types:
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lift off, take off
depart from the ground
roar off
leave
blaze, blaze out
move rapidly and as if blazing
sally forth, sally out
set out in a sudden, energetic or violent manner
Type of:
go away, go forth, leave
go away from a place

n the advantage gained by beginning early (as in a race)

“with an hour's start he will be hard to catch”
Synonyms:
head start
Type of:
advantage, vantage
the quality of having a superior or more favorable position
3

v move or jump suddenly, as if in surprise or alarm

Synonyms:
jump, startle
Types:
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shy
start suddenly, as from fright
boggle
startle with amazement or fear
rear back
start with anger or resentment or in protest
jackrabbit
go forward or start with a fast, sudden movement
Type of:
move
move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion

n a sudden involuntary movement

“he awoke with a start”
Synonyms:
jump, startle
Types:
startle reaction, startle response
a complicated involuntary reaction to a sudden unexpected stimulus (especially a loud noise); involves flexion of most skeletal muscles and a variety of visceral reactions
Moro reflex, startle reflex
a normal reflex of young infants; a sudden loud noise causes the child to stretch out the arms and flex the legs
flinch, wince
a reflex response to sudden pain
Type of:
inborn reflex, innate reflex, instinctive reflex, physiological reaction, reflex, reflex action, reflex response, unconditioned reflex
an automatic instinctive unlearned reaction to a stimulus
4

v bulge outward

Synonyms:
bug out, bulge, bulge out, come out, pop, pop out, protrude
Type of:
change form, change shape, deform
assume a different shape or form
Launch
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