usher in

verb

ushered in; ushering in; ushers in

transitive verb

1
: to serve to bring into being
a discovery that ushered in a period of change
2
: 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 However, the rise of FinTech solutions is ushering in a new era of efficiency and transparency, changing how startups approach financial management. Molly Peck, USA TODAY, 12 May 2024 The clothing chain, known for its workplace fashion, failed to connect with consumers after the pandemic ushered in working from home, Saunders said. Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 10 May 2024 Amtrak is ushering in the start of the warmer season by offering 30 percent off fares as part of its summer flash sale. Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 10 May 2024 The 1980s birthed high school rom-coms such as Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club, but the allure of rom-coms had largely dissipated at the box office, until Nora ushered in their golden age. Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 8 May 2024 In partnership with the NHL and the NBA, ABC will debut a series of spots starting Monday to usher in the upcoming NHL and NBA playoffs. Jack Dunn, Variety, 6 May 2024 Expect new iPad Pros with a brand new OLED screen, a bigger version of the iPad Air, and last but not least, perhaps an all-new M4 chip that will usher in Apple’s push into AI. Kyle Barr / Gizmodo, Quartz, 3 May 2024 Instead, Cecily helped usher in an even more brutal occupation by the Japanese. Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 1 May 2024 Plenty of respectable studies and forecasts predict that AI can boost productivity, usher in an age of innovation, and even increase GDP over the long-term—but so far, only a few companies have really profited from the AI boom. Will Daniel, Fortune, 27 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'usher in.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near usher in

Cite this Entry

“Usher in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/usher%20in. Accessed 16 May. 2024.

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