commence

take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

• “We began working at dawn”
• “Who will start?”
• “Get working as soon as the sun rises!”
• “The first tourists began to arrive in Cambodia”
• “He began early in the day”
• “Let”

set in motion, cause to start

• “The U.S. started a war in the Middle East”
• “The Iraqis began hostilities”
• “begin a new chapter in your life”

get off the ground

• “Who started this company?”
• “We embarked on an exciting enterprise”
• “I start my day with a good breakfast”
• “We began the new semester”
• “The afternoon session begins at 4 PM”
• “The blood shed started when the partisans launched a surprise attack”