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began

American  
[bih-gan] / bɪˈgæn /

verb

  1. the simple past tense of begin.


began British  
/ bɪˈɡæn /

verb

  1. the past tense of begin

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Land” ends in the place where it began, but in a modern era with cottages turned into holiday homes.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026

Once CO2 levels dropped below that point, Antarctic ice volume began responding much more dramatically to changes in atmospheric and ocean temperatures.

From Science Daily • May 29, 2026

The court had heard the disturbance began after police approached the two brothers following an earlier incident at a coffee shop.

From BBC • May 29, 2026

The surge in pink slips started in 2023, when companies that had gone on hiring sprees during the COVID-19 pandemic began to cut back.

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026

It must have been 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning that the train at last began to move.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

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