outset

noun

ˈau̇t-ˌset How to pronounce outset (audio)
Definition of outsetnext
as in beginning
the point at which something begins I wish you'd mentioned this problem at the outset

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of outset The fabrics feel naturally soft, lightweight and comfortable from the outset. — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 19 Oct. 2026 At the outset, the Israeli government was not directly involved in the transfers. — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 18 Oct. 2026 Harper takes over second half For the Spurs, everything clicked from the outset except for one component. — Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 16 Oct. 2026 Congress swiftly approved legislation at the outset of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in spring of 2022 to ban the import of Russian energy products, which are widely viewed as providing the financial fuel for Putin's military assault on Ukraine. — Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for outset
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outset
  1. beginning
  2. start
  3. inception
  4. onset
  5. commencement
Noun
  • Expect some traffic back-ups at the beginning and end of the game as parking lots empty and drivers hit the road in what is a construction zone on highways running through downtown.
    — Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Advertisement At the beginning of May, separatists turned in a petition with hundreds of thousands of signatures to push for a vote on leaving Canada, while opponents collected signatures in support of staying.
    — Chantelle Lee, Time, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of beginning
Noun
  • The anticipated early 2028 production start will mark the next stage of the company’s investment in Colorado.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The Heat also stuck with essentially the same bench rotation (but with a twist) despite its rough start to the season.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of start
Noun
  • This happened despite the fact that calculations of orbital forcings, together with modeling of how carbon dioxide interferes with glacial inception, have suggested the next ice age was postponed by tens of thousands of years.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 24 Oct. 2026
  • That’s a wild thing to imagine, since the iPhone has had very few fundamental changes since its inception.
    — Allison Johnson, The Verge, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of inception
Noun
  • There had been a temporary improvement but the onset of the Iran war has plunged the country back into crisis.
    — Rebekah Evans, TheWeek, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Much of these are solvable problems, if the right people are engaged to ensure that the community is involved from the onset.
    — Neil Chatterjee, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of onset
Noun
  • Their achievement is worthy of commencement speakers from the local, state and federal level — including Nancy Pelosi.
    — Noel Brennan, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The city’s post came shortly after Butker delivered a commencement speech on May 14, 2024, at Benedictine College.
    — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of commencement

Browse Nearby Words

outs
outset
outsets
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Outset.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outset. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All