first thing

American  

[furst thing] / ˈfɜrst ˈθɪŋ /

adverb

1. right away, before all other actions, concerns, etc.; at the earliest opportunity.

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noun

1. the first thing, the most basic piece of information.

first thing Idioms  

1. Before anything else; without delay. For example, Tom was supposed to call him first thing in the morning. [Late 1500s] Also see under first and foremost; first off.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

first thing

Normally the first thing an architect draws is the plan and the last is the perspective, if necessary to show the client what his building will look like.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

"The first thing to remember is that all of the clinical trials, GLP-1s were not tested against no treatment; they were tested against lifestyle management interventions," he said.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026

“The first thing we told her was that we needed furniture that could move from room to room, indoors to out,” she said.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

I answered truthfully, but the first thing that came to mind was my bipolar disorder.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

When they’d cleared enough to open their eyes, the first thing they saw was a smiling Paris.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti