at the outset

Idioms  

1. Also, from the outset. At the start, from the start. For example, He wanted to explain his position from the outset, but there wasn't time, or At the outset the problem seemed simple, but then it became quite complicated. The noun outset is rarely heard today except in these phrases. [Mid-1700s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

at the outset

The Houthis, whose heartland is among Yemen's Zaidi Muslims in the country's north, seized the capital Sanaa in 2014 at the outset of the civil war, driving the government to Aden in the south.

From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026

“It’s just the way that this business goes,” Adams said at the outset of training camp.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026

Prosecutors said the agency “provided less than fulsome information” at the outset of the case and was slow to share more information when pressed for it.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

Comcast said it expects the tax-free spin-off in approximately one year and that it will hold up to 19.9% of NBCUniversal at the outset.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 29, 2026

The stimuli that set them off at the outset, building collectively instead of shifting things about, may be pheromones released when they reach committee size.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas

Related Words

• initially
• originally