to start with

Idioms  

1. Also, to begin with. In the first place, initially, as in We'll notify him by e-mail to start with, or To begin with, they haven't paid their taxes in years. The first term dates from the second half of the 1800s, the variant from the mid-1500s. Also see for openers.

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Example Sentences

I like to start with a frozen cheese pizza and spoon dollops of each sauce over the pie before baking.

From Salon • Jun. 6, 2026

You’re building a house every day, and you’ve got to start with foundation and then move all the way up.

From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026

“You have to understand camera composition, which shots are changed. Like you can’t have two close-ups back to back, you have to start with an establishing shot,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

“You do need to start with an apology,” says Lizzie Post, an etiquette expert.

From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026

I had to find out first, because I had never told my family I had signed up to start with.

From "March Forward, Girl" by Melba Pattillo Beals

Related Words

• initially
• originally