Proceed Synonyms | Uses & Examples
Proceed is a verb that means “to carry on with something,” “to physically move forward,” or “to arise from.”
Synonyms for proceed include:
- Carry on
- Continue
- Advance
- Go ahead
- Get on with
- Keep going
- Progress
- Make one’s way
- Push on
- Originate
- Arise
- Stem
- Spring
- Emanate
Table of contents
Proceed synonyms
When proceed means “carry on with something,” stronger synonyms closely match proceed when referring to ongoing activities.
Weaker synonyms like “get underway” and “begin” suggest starting something, and “progress” carries the connotation that something is advancing or improving.
| Match | Synonym | Proceed example | Synonym example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strongest | Carry on | Sorry about the interruption, students. Let’s proceed with exercise five. | Sorry about the interruption, students. Let’s carry on with exercise five. |
| Continue | The council is taking a short break, but will proceed to discuss your suggestions after. | The council is taking a short break, but will continue to discuss your suggestions after. | |
| Advance | The team proceeded to the finals. | The team advanced to the finals. | |
| Strong | Go ahead | The CEO must sign off on the success criteria before we can proceed with the tests. | The CEO must sign off on the success criteria before we can go ahead with the tests. |
| Get on with | After I answer this inquiry from a customer, I’ll proceed to contacting leads. | After I answer this inquiry from a customer, I’ll get on with contacting leads. | |
| Keep going | We now have fewer team members than expected, but we can still proceed with the project. | We now have fewer team members than expected, but we can still keep going with the project. | |
| Weak | Get underway | For safety reasons, the concert cannot proceed until the weather clears up. | For safety reasons, the concert cannot get underway until the weather clears up. |
| Begin | The meeting will proceed once everyone has arrived. | The meeting will begin once everyone has arrived. | |
| Progress | James proceeded from analyst to manager in just under a year. | James progressed from analyst to manager in just under a year. |
A few synonyms for proceed with this meaning are:
- Sue
- Take to court
- Start proceedings against
- Start an action against
- File a lawsuit against
As for synonyms for proceed meaning “to physically move forward,” the strongest ones imply a deliberate movement towards a destination. Weak synonyms like “go” and “move” describe movement without clear direction or purpose.
However, in everyday English, this usage is less common, as most people would likely say “go.” Instead, proceed is often found in formal instructions, military language, or scientific descriptions.
| Match | Synonym | Proceed example | Synonym example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strongest | Advance | The army proceeded towards the enemy. | The army advanced towards the enemy. |
| Progress | The robot proceeded through the Martian valley until it reached the crater, where it stopped to analyze. | The robot progressed through the Martian valley until it reached the crater, where it stopped to analyze. | |
| Continue | To get to the capital, turn right here and then proceed until you reach the city. | To get to the capital, turn right here and then continue until you reach the city. | |
| Move forward | Please proceed with caution. | Please move forward with caution. | |
| Strong | Make one’s way | From Euston Square, proceed down Gower Street and you’ll reach the British Museum. | From Euston Square, make your way down Gower Street and you’ll reach the British Museum. |
| Push on | The squad will not proceed until we give them the signal. | The squad will not push on until we give them the signal. | |
| Weak | Go | Proceed up 7th Avenue from Madison Square Garden and you’ll find yourself in Times Square. | Go up 7th Avenue from Madison Square Garden and you’ll find yourself in Times Square. |
| Move | After we scan your tickets, please proceed into the hall. | After we scan your tickets, please move into the hall. |
When proceed means “to originate from,” its strongest synonyms emphasize the fundamental source of something, often with a sense of causation. Weaker synonyms indicate a connection but may not strongly imply cause-and-effect.
| Match | Synonym | Proceed example | Synonym example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strongest | Originate | Joan of Arc claimed that her powers proceeded from God. | Joan of Arc claimed that her powers originated from God. |
| Arise | The issue proceeded from a misunderstanding during the meeting. | The issue arose from a misunderstanding during the meeting. | |
| Strong | Stem | His ideas proceeded from years of research and experimentation. | His ideas stemmed from years of research and experimentation. |
| Spring | The idea proceeds from a desire to bring the community together. | The idea springs from a desire to bring the community together. | |
| Emanate | As Alice drew closer, she noticed a wonderful aroma proceeding from the kitchen. | As Alice drew closer, she noticed a wonderful aroma emanating from the kitchen. | |
| Weak | Derive | Acupuncture proceeds from ancient Chinese traditions. | Acupuncture derives from ancient Chinese traditions. |
| Result | The new policy proceeded from a need for reform. | The new policy resulted from a need for reform. | |
| Come | Strange sounds are proceeding from that room. | Strange sounds are coming from that room. |
QuillBot’s Paraphraser Android App or Paraphraser iOS App can help you find synonyms for proceed or for “precede.”
Frequently asked questions about proceed synonyms
- Is it procede or proceed?
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“Proceed” is the correct spelling for the verb that means “to carry on with something or go forward.” A few synonyms for proceed are “continue,” “advance,” and “go on.”
“Procede” is not a word. It’s an incorrect spelling of either “proceed” or precede, which means “to come or happen before.”
QuillBot’s Grammar Checker can catch any spelling errors—like “procede”—in your writing.
- What’s a synonym for proceeding?
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Synonyms for “proceeding” depend on if it’s being used as the present progressive of the verb “proceed” or a noun meaning “legal action.”
For the verb, synonyms for “proceeding” overlap with synonyms for proceed. A few are:
- Continuing
- Advancing
- Moving forward
As a noun, a few synonyms are:
- Lawsuit
- Action
- Case
QuillBot’s Paraphraser can help you find more synonyms for “proceeding” in both contexts.
- What’s the opposite of proceed?
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The opposite of “proceed” depends on the context in which you’re using the verb. Some antonyms are:
- Recede
- Retreat
- Pause
- Stop
- Halt
Find other ways to convey this meaning—or find synonyms for proceed—with QuillBot’s free Paraphraser.
