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began

/bɪˈɡæn/verb2 syllables

Began means: take the first step or steps in carrying out an action.

Synonyms for began9

verb, as in take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

get down, begin, get, start out, start, set about, set out, commence

verb, as in begin to speak, understand, read, and write a language

begin, get down, get, start out, start, set about, set out, commence

verb, as in set in motion, cause to start

begin, lead off, start, commence

verb, as in have a beginning, of a temporal event

begin, start, lead off, commence

verb, as in have a beginning, in a temporal, spatial, or evaluative sense

verb, as in have a beginning characterized in some specified way

verb, as in begin an event that is implied and limited by the nature or inherent function of the direct object

verb, as in be the first item or point, constitute the beginning or start, come first in a series

verb, as in begin to speak or say

verb, as in achieve or accomplish in the least degree, usually used in the negative

Opposites of began

What does began mean?10

verb

1

take the first step or steps in carrying out an action“We began working at dawn”

2

begin to speak, understand, read, and write a language“She began Russian at an early age”

3

set in motion, cause to start“The U.S. started a war in the Middle East”

4

have a beginning, of a temporal event“WW II began in 1939 when Hitler marched into Poland”

5

have a beginning, in a temporal, spatial, or evaluative sense“The DMZ begins right over the hill”

6

have a beginning characterized in some specified way“The novel begins with a murder”

7

begin an event that is implied and limited by the nature or inherent function of the direct object“begin a cigar”

8

be the first item or point, constitute the beginning or start, come first in a series“The number ‘one’ begins the sequence”

9

begin to speak or say“‘Now listen, friends’, he began”

10

achieve or accomplish in the least degree, usually used in the negative“This economic measure doesn't even begin to deal with the problem of inflation”

Definitions from the Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

What rhymes with began?25

Show 40 near rhymes

All 25 rhymes for began, grouped by syllable

Began in a sentence

  • Left alone, the little girl began to cry.CK
  • Left alone, he began to read a book.Eldad
  • It was getting dark, and, what made matters worse, it began to rain.CM
  • All of a sudden, large drops of rain began falling from the dark sky.CK
  • When the weather had cleared, the children began to play baseball again.CK
  • A whistle blew, and the boat slowly began to pull out of port.fishda
  • It got dark, and what was worse, it began to rain.Swift
  • When the cold winter began, the old man's health deteriorated.papabear

Sentences from Tatoeba, CC BY 2.0 FR, credited to their authors.