Strike up, initiate, commence, and launch can all describe a start. They differ in the words they take, their tone, and their focus.
Strike up commonly starts a talk, friendship, or other relationship. It often suggests a social opening. Initiate means cause something to begin and fits both talks and formal steps. Commence is a formal word for begin. Launch often stresses a planned or public start.
Different claims about how something began
These words do not always work in the same places. The words around them help show the kind of start.
You can strike up a conversation or strike up a friendship. You can initiate a review, commence proceedings, or launch a program. You can also initiate a conversation, especially when the start is planned. Context matters more than a strict rule about tone.
Want to get better at distinctions like this?
Lyra Practice helps you learn the nuance of high-value workplace expressions, then practice using them in realistic situations.
See how Lyra Practice works →Both words can appear in the same sentence
"Legal initiated a formal review of the vendor's compliance history" names a planned process. Struck up would not fit that object naturally.
"The two account leads launched the renegotiation with a joint kickoff call" stresses a planned start. Initiated could also work with a plainer tone.
"She struck up a conversation with the compliance lead in the elevator, and the renegotiation was formally initiated the following week" uses both patterns. The social conversation began first, followed by a formal process.
Practice scenarios
Practice using strike up in situations like:
- choosing a formal verb for a review, investigation, or negotiation
- narrating a casual conversation that later led to a formal process
- choosing between strike up and initiate for a deliberate conversation
Useful practice phrases:
- "Legal initiated a formal review of..."
- "We launched the renegotiation with..."
- "...struck up a conversation, and it was later formally initiated."
Strike up often opens social contact. The other verbs cover wider kinds of planned beginnings.
The words can overlap, so choose the one that fits the object and emphasis.
Lyra Practice helps advanced non-native English professionals learn the nuance of high-value workplace expressions and practice using them in realistic scenarios, so their English sounds natural, precise, and senior at work. Try Lyra Practice.