Synonyms

first off

Idioms

From the start, immediately. For example, He said to wash the car first off, or Why wasn't she told first off? [Colloquial; late 1800s] Also see under first and foremost; first thing.

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.

Play “ready golf”: Stop worrying about who has the honor to hit first off the tee.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

The UK was first off the blocks, perhaps inevitably.

From BBC • Jul. 31, 2025

Well, I would like to say first off, that science is and should be for absolutely everyone, regardless of your political affiliation.

From Salon • Oct. 8, 2024

Then a trio of three-points by Paul George early in the third quarter — the first off an assist from Harden — pulled the Clippers even three times, the final at 73.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2024

His eyes were shut, like the eyes of a boy jumping feet first off the high dive.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023