at first
IdiomsExample Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
John Hagner, fishing upstream, said he called it “Lake America” at first.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
"What is especially fascinating about the hat tile is that, although the resulting pattern appears irregular at first glance, it is actually constructed from the honeycomb lattice," says lead author Yuto Moritake.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 15, 2026
In the same over, Abdullah Shafique's crooked bat resulted in an edge to Root at first slip.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
Perhaps this resolution wasn’t as minor as it seemed at first glance.
From Salon ● Sep. 10, 2026
It’s what I thought I wanted ten minutes ago, and at first I thrill at this thought, that I could walk out of this building and never again have to return.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
