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

The first thing out of my oven were chocolate chip cookies.

From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2026

"The first thing I did was contact Adelle," she says.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

The first thing to know about medbeds is that they aren’t real.

From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2026

Microsoft’s software business may not be the first thing that comes to mind when investors think about its artificial-intelligence story, but it could be the “most underappreciated” aspect of the company’s narrative going forward.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026

Jessica Feeney’s face, the first thing everyone looked at, was like a mask.

From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott