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

“Moloch” was last seen swimming down the Los Angeles River — its first and last whale.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026

The convergence of multiple people with the same first and last name has put a bizarre twist on the serious fight for a US Senate seat in the midterm elections this November.

From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 2026

Bread is the first and last defense against sogginess, which is why sturdy loaves — focaccia, baguettes, bâtards, Italian bread — shine in beach-sandwich applications.

From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026

Both Ronaldo and Messi have scored their first and last World Cup goals for their country 20 years and 11 days apart, at the time of writing.

From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026

That was the first and last time Kaori had tried to teach Gen how to tell time, but she never stopped hounding her about one of life’s most important lessons: be punctual.

From "Hello, Universe" by Erin Entrada Kelly