first and last

Idioms  

1. Under all circumstances, always, as in She was an artist first and last. (For a synonym, see above all.) This expression, first recorded in 1589, should not be confused with the similar-sounding from first to last, which means “from start to finish” or “throughout,” as in We cheered them on from first to last.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

first and last

The buzz: Yasin Ayari scored the first and last of Sweden’s goals in the 5-1 win over Tunisia last week.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026

Randa Abdel-Fattah, the Australian-Palestinian writer whose disinvitation from a major literature festival in Adelaide sparked an uproar in January, said her upcoming book, Discipline, would be her "first and last book with UQP".

From BBC ● Apr. 24, 2026

Historic freezes in 1894 and 1895 nearly eradicated the industry, its first and last real brush with old-world calamity.

From Slate ● Apr. 20, 2026

Only one name on the list is redacted and the rest of the first and last names are public.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 1, 2026

Swade is a combination of my first and last name, Silas Wade.

From "A High Five for Glenn Burke" by Phil Bildner