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

Pirro’s allegations were suspect to start with; the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee said Powell did not commit a crime in his testimony on the building.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026

“That’s why we choose to start with Alba, who is the granddaughter that is able to start her healing process by understanding her family history,” Urrejola says.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2026

The companies plan to start with a pilot project scheduled to be finished by 2028.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 27, 2026

Whatever it was, it contradicted the very feeling of safety that had conjured the thought of him to start with.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

Related Words

• initially
• originally