usher in

verb

ushered in; ushering in; ushers in

transitive verb

: to serve to bring into being

a discovery that ushered in a period of change

: to mark or observe the beginning of

ushered in the new year with merrymaking

Choose the Right Synonym for usher in

begin, commence, start, initiate, inaugurate, usher in mean to take the first step in a course, process, or operation.

begin, start, and commence are often interchangeable.

begin, opposed to end, is the most general.

begin a trip

began dancing

start, opposed to stop, applies especially to first actions, steps, or stages.

the work started slowly

commence can be more formal or bookish than begin or start.

commence firing

commenced a conversation

initiate implies taking a first step in a process or series that is to continue.

initiated diplomatic contacts

inaugurate suggests a beginning of some formality or notion of significance.

the discovery of penicillin inaugurated a new era in medicine

usher in is somewhat less weighty than inaugurate.

ushered in a period of economic decline

Examples of usher in in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Jerry’s arrival ushered in one of the greatest eras in NBA history. — Law Murray, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026 The full list of content includes Fox’s first two X-Men films, both of which precede the MCU and helped usher in the superhero wave, while the rest are official Marvel films and series. — Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 And while both the east and west coasts have ushered in record year after record year for launches, rockets are only due to fly more and more frequently in the years ahead. — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 17 Aug. 2026 The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan five years ago ushered in an era of dehumanizing restrictions for women and girls. — Dominique Soguel, Christian Science Monitor, 15 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for usher in

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of usher in was circa 1600

See more words from the same year

Browse Nearby Words

usherette

usher in

usherless

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Style

“Usher in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/usher%20in. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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usher in

verb

Examples of usher in in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

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