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

“But first off, there’s 10 songs. And secondly, there’s huge stretches with almost no breaks, so just the musicians literally having time to turn the page can be challenging.”

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 22, 2025

"We need to tackle that pervasive misogyny in society first off, so we don't reach that stage in the first place."

From BBC • Jun. 30, 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

“Well, first off, we made ourselves some getting-over-kids stew, special recipe.”

From "Ruby Holler" by Sharon Creech

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