start
verb (used without object)
to begin or set out, as on a journey or activity.
start
1 American
[stahrt]
/ stɑrt /
verb (used without object)
-
starts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
started,
past participle, past
-
starting
present participle
-
to begin or set out, as on a journey or activity.
-
to appear or come suddenly into action, life, view, etc.; rise or issue suddenly forth.
-
to spring, move, or dart suddenly from a position or place.
The rabbit started from the bush.
-
to be among the entrants in a race or the initial participants in a game or contest.
-
to give a sudden, involuntary jerk, jump, or twitch, as from a shock of surprise, alarm, or pain.
The sudden clap of thunder caused everyone to start.
-
to protrude.
eyes seeming to start from their sockets.
-
to spring, slip, or work loose from place or fastenings, as timbers or other structural parts.
verb (used with object)
-
starts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
started,
past participle, past
-
starting
present participle
-
to set moving, going, or acting; to set in operation.
to start an automobile; to start a fire.
-
to establish or found.
to start a new business.
- Synonyms:
- institute
-
to begin work on.
to start a book.
-
to enable or help (someone) set out on a journey, a career, or the like.
The record started the young singer on the road to stardom.
-
to cause or choose to be an entrant in a game or contest.
He started his ace pitcher in the crucial game.
-
to cause (an object) to work loose from place or fastenings.
-
to rouse (game) from its lair or covert; flush.
-
to draw or discharge (liquid or other contents) from a vessel or container; empty (a container).
-
Archaic. to cause to twitch, jump, or flinch involuntarily; startle.
noun
-
starts
plural
-
a beginning of an action, journey, etc.
- Synonyms:
- onset, commencement
-
a signal to move, proceed, or begin, as on a course or in a race.
-
a place or time from which something begins.
-
the first part or beginning segment of anything.
The start of the book was good but the last half was dull.
-
an instance of being a participant in a race or an initial participant in a game or contest.
The horse won his first two starts.
-
a sudden, springing movement from a position.
-
a sudden, involuntary jerking movement of the body.
to awake with a start.
-
a lead or advance of specified amount, as over competitors or pursuers.
-
the position or advantage of one who starts first.
The youngest child should have the start over the rest.
-
a chance, opportunity, aid, or encouragement given to one starting on a course or career.
The bride's parents gave the couple a start by buying them a house.
-
a spurt of activity.
-
a starting of parts from their place or fastenings in a structure.
-
the resulting break or opening.
-
an outburst or sally, as of emotion, wit, or fancy.
START
2
American
[stahrt]
/ stɑrt /
noun
start
1
British
/ stɑːt /
verb
-
to begin or cause to begin (something or to do something); come or cause to come into being, operation, etc
he started a quarrel
they started to work
-
to make or cause to make a beginning of (a process, series of actions, etc)
they started on the project
-
(sometimes foll by up) to set or be set in motion
he started up the machine
-
(intr) to make a sudden involuntary movement of one's body, from or as if from fright; jump
-
(intr; sometimes foll by up, away, etc) to spring or jump suddenly from a position or place
-
to establish or be established; set up
to start a business
-
(tr) to support (someone) in the first part of a venture, career, etc
-
to work or cause to work loose
-
to enter or be entered in a race
-
(intr) to flow violently from a source
wine started from a hole in the cask
-
(tr) to rouse (game) from a hiding place, lair, etc
-
(intr) (esp of eyes) to bulge; pop
-
an archaic word for startle
-
informal (intr) to commence quarrelling or causing a disturbance
-
in the first place
noun
-
the first or first part of a series of actions or operations, a journey, etc
-
the place or time of starting, as of a race or performance
-
a signal to proceed, as in a race
-
a lead or advantage, either in time or distance and usually of specified extent, in a competitive activity
he had an hour's start on me
-
a slight involuntary movement of the body, as through fright, surprise, etc
she gave a start as I entered
-
an opportunity to enter a career, undertake a project, etc
-
informal a surprising incident
-
a part that has come loose or been disengaged
-
spasmodically; without concerted effort
-
in the first place
START
2
British
/ stɑːt /
acronym
start
Idioms
Synonym Usage
See begin.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
startsimple
-
startssimple
-
have startedperfect
-
has startedperfect
-
am startingprogressive
-
are startingprogressive
-
is startingprogressive
-
have been startingperfect progressive
-
has been startingperfect progressive
Past
-
startedsimple
-
had startedperfect
-
was startingprogressive
-
were startingprogressive
-
had been startingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of start
First recorded before 1150; Middle English verb sterte(n), stirte(n), “to rush out, leap” (cognate with Middle High German sterzen ); replacing Old English styrtan (attested once), cognate with German stürzen; noun derivative of the verb
Explanation
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.
Vocabulary lists containing start
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:
Barabak: There will be much critiquing to come, so let me start by paying both gentleman a compliment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
A report, published days before the start of the October early releases, warned that almost half of offenders were not tagged promptly, despite electronic monitoring being key to success.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
But Anand Menon, director of the UK in a Changing Europe think-tank, cautioned against any suggestion that Burnham's comments mark the start of a return journey.
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
Withdrawals come at the start of each year, before returns, beginning at $40,000 and growing with realized inflation thereafter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
“Then I have to start painting for real.”
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, known as "New START" and signed in 2010 was one of a handful of agreements designed to help prevent a catastrophic nuclear war.
From BBC ● Feb. 4, 2026
New START, which limits the U.S. and Russia to 1,550 nuclear warheads, is set to expire on Feb. 5.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 30, 2026
A likely result of the changing landscape is the lapse of New START, which sets weapon limits and includes inspection systems.
From Barron's ● Dec. 22, 2025
Allowing inspections of weapons sites and providing information on the placement of intercontinental and submarine-based ballistic missiles and their test launches are critical components of New START, which U.S.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 12, 2023
He told us he had then on these mountains 15,000 head of dear, and thought we might like to see a START, as it is called.
From Letters from England by Elizabeth Davis Bancroft
“It starts by retaking control of the essentials that make a place work or not.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
It starts with center Walker Kessler, the team’s new rim-protecting 7-foot-2 center.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026
After more than a decade of public feuding and false starts, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua exchanged pleasantries, traded jokes and even discussed going for a pint at a news conference in London.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
Needham starts coverage of Pasqal at Buy, with analyst David Williams pointing to the quantum developer’s commercial traction and strong balance sheet.
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
She hits a few keys and the song starts playing.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
He started popping algebra questions into the search bar to quickly finish off his daily schoolwork.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
Swiss glaciers started the summer in an already difficult place, covered by less snow than usual after a mild winter.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
Hayun said the plane then started to level out.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
But these worries have only recently started to impact prices, bond-market experts told MarketWatch.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026
The whey from the cottage cheese started to drip!
From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios
The IPO market has been on a tear this year, but more signs of skittishness are starting to emerge.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
The proposals were announced on Thursday ahead of the party's conference starting this weekend.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
Mwedziwendira is now figuring out how to build her West Coast clientele after starting EP Studio, a Washington, D.C., creative studio and PR firm, a year ago.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026
Some members of the Whaleback pack are collared, providing a good starting point.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026
Nim asked one morning, when the island was starting to look like her home again, just with not so many trees.
From "Nim’s Island" by Wendy Orr
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.
