square one
Americannoun
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
If not, we are back to square one.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026
Aston Martin is still at square one, despite making Adrian Newey, the most successful designer in F1 history, one of the highest paid people in the sport.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 8, 2026
He had to begin at square one and get to square 100.
From Salon • Feb. 20, 2026
"We were mostly starting from square one, and that threw up all sorts of challenges, but also joyful surprises," he said.
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
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.
