Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

start something

Idioms  
  1. Cause trouble, especially a quarrel or fight, as in Stop bringing that up—do you want to start something? [Colloquial; early 1900s]


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.

See Examples For:

"People don't dare to start something because it's expensive, and a lot of banks are reluctant to loan money to set up a proper business," he said.

From Barron's Mar. 19, 2026

He'll start something and then he'll be like, "Oh, I wish you had been a part of it."

From Salon Oct. 31, 2024

With the cancer diagnosis giving Jane a new "focus", she found a group of similar families nearby - many old school friends of Ellie's - who were looking to start something called a housing cooperative.

From BBC Oct. 15, 2024

There’s definitely a sense that she’s about to start something.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 16, 2024

“You start something else when this one finished,” Sybil said.

From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 12,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training