at first

1. Initially, at the start, as in At first the berries were green, but when they ripened they turned bright red. [Second half of 1500s]

Example Sentences

Memories get classified in ways that seem at first blush straightforward.

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At first glance, the Scottish government declining to take a position on something isn't hugely exciting.

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At first, the tricky part was getting CAI’s insights into the hands of people who could use them.

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And the boys are hard enough to understand: At first, I thought they were from New Zealand, then just figured they had a speech impediment.

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The only clue Retes’ family had at first was a brief call he managed to make on his Apple Watch with his hands handcuffed behind his back.

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Related Words

• basically 
• formerly