from scratch

Idioms

From the very beginning, from the outset; from nothing. For example, I knew we'd have a problem from scratch. Similarly, to start from scratch means “to start from the very beginning,” as in After the business failed, they decided to reorganize and start from scratch. This term comes from racing, where a competitor starts from the line scratched into the ground (whereas others may start ahead with a handicap). [Mid-1800s] Also see from the ground up; from the word go.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“I don’t believe I’ve ordered a ‘regular’ pizza this century, though I frequently enjoy pizza I make from scratch.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 17, 2026

It also was a first for Green Dot, which typically had created new public charter schools from scratch, one grade at a time, to instill a strong culture of motivated families who assertively opt in.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 17, 2026

Cooking a full-fledged meal from scratch seems too laborious.

From Salon • Jun. 6, 2026

Microsoft says it built the model "from scratch" with "no distillation" of rival models -- a common shortcut that involves copying a competitor's outputs to train a new system more cheaply and quickly.

From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026

They could not help him sight-read a new tune from scratch.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023