- past tense form of begin.
began
Americanverb
verb
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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.
She adds: "We feel scared, especially after the sanctions that began yesterday. Ever since the war, my spouse has not gone back to work. He used to work on ships."
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
The stock sank 25% in recent morning trading, which put it on track to suffer its biggest one-day loss since the stock began trading in October 2002, according to FactSet data.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026
Parton began reeling off No. 1 country hits—eight in the next six years—but after “Jolene” grazed the pop charts, she had visions of reaching a wider audience.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
The effort began with the ballot summary written by lawmakers.
From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026
He struck the stone against the rim of his monocle, raining sparks over the hearth kindling—once, twice, three times, until the sparks nestled into the tinder and began to grow into flames.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.