Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of verb commence

3 senses of commence

Sense 1
get down, begin, get, start out, start, set about, set out, 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's get down to work now")

Sense 2
begin, lead off, start, commence -- (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")

Sense 3
start, start up, embark on, commence -- (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")
       => begin, lead off, start, commence -- (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")