first thing

Idioms  

1. Before anything else; without delay. For example, Tom was supposed to call him first thing in the morning. [Late 1500s] Also see under first and foremost; first off.

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Example Sentences

"The first thing we saw, which was super bizarre and we didn't expect, was that there were filopodia everywhere," Harnett says.

From Science Daily • May 6, 2026

If competitive differentiation is the first thing investors look for when justifying such a high valuation, the second is a huge untapped market.

From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026

The first thing you notice about junior outfielder Jaxson Neckien of Westlake High is that he’s tall and slender at 6 feet 4 and 180 pounds.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2026

The first thing that had to go right was an unbelievable stroke of luck on the unluckiest night of Tatum’s life.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

The first thing I knew there was a complete circle of monkeys all around Rowdy and me.

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls