Start definition

Start as a verb

1. take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

   "Who will start?"

   Same sense: get, get down, set about, set out, start out, begin, commence

2. set in motion, cause to start

   "The U.S. started a war in the Middle East"

   Same sense: lead off, begin, commence

3. depart for someplace

   Same sense: part, take off, set out, start out, set off, set forth, depart

4. have a beginning, in a temporal, spatial, or evaluative sense

   "Prices for these homes start at $250,000"

   Same sense: begin

5. bring into being

   "Start a foundation"

   Same sense: initiate, originate

6. get off the ground

   "Who started this company?"

   Same sense: start up, commence, embark on

7. move or jump suddenly, as if in surprise or alarm

   "She startled when I walked into the room"

   Same sense: jump, startle

8. get going or set in motion

   "We simply could not start the engine"

   Same sense: start up

9. begin or set in motion

   "I start at eight in the morning"

   Same sense: go, get going

10. begin work or acting in a certain capacity, office or job

    "start a new job"

    Same sense: take up

11. play in the starting lineup

12. have a beginning characterized in some specified way

    Same sense: begin

13. 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"

    Same sense: begin

14. bulge outward

    Same sense: come out, pop, pop out, bug out, bulge out, bulge, protrude

Start as a noun

15. the beginning of anything

    "it was off to a good start"

16. the time at which something is supposed to begin

    "they got an early start"

    Same sense: first, get-go, starting time, beginning, offset, commencement, outset, kickoff

17. 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"

    Same sense: starting

18. a sudden involuntary movement

    "he awoke with a start"

    Same sense: jump, startle

19. the act of starting something

    Same sense: beginning, commencement

20. a line indicating the location of the start of a race or a game

    Same sense: starting line, scratch, scratch line

21. a signal to begin (as in a race)

    "the starting signal was a green light"

    Same sense: starting signal

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

    "with an hour's start he will be hard to catch"

    Same sense: head start

Synonyms and antonyms

• get definition
• get down
• set about
• set out
• start out
• begin
• commence
• lead off
• part definition
• take off
• set off
• set forth
• depart
• initiate
• originate
• start up
• embark on
• jump
• startle
• go definition
• get going
• take up
• come out
• pop

Opposites: stop, finish.

All synonyms of start, sense by sense

How to say start

Start has 1 syllable and rhymes with part. Syllable counts and rhymes come from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary.

Words that rhyme with start

• part
• heart
• art
• smart
• apart
• chart
• hart
• cart
• sweetheart
• counterpart
• mart
• restart

START in word games

Scrabble

5

Words With Friends

5

Anagrams

1

Is START a valid Scrabble word? Yes, it is in the ENABLE list most word games use. Check START in the word checker, or unscramble START to see its 1 anagram and the shorter words in its letters.