square one

American  

noun

1. a starting point; initial stage or step.

   If this plan fails, we'll have to go back to square one.

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Etymology

Origin of square one

First recorded in 1955–60; alluding to board games in which a player is penalized by being forced to return to the starting point

Example Sentences

If not, we are back to square one.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026

But he quickly found himself back to square one; back to where it all started.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026

Explain your current level of tech knowledge: If you’ve never touched code or a script before, tell the AI you’re starting from square one and it should explain every single step you need to take.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026

"I was back to square one," he explains.

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2026

Maybe their planes would be taken away to beef up an existing men’s regiment, and they’d be back to square one looking for a way to volunteer.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein