first thing

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.

Example Sentences

The first thing that any business wanting to replace humans with AI will have to do is ensure that they have extensive training data.

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In his book “The Shipwrecked Mind,” he tells us, “Reactionaries are not conservatives. This is the first thing to be understood about them.”

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He checks in with his managers before logging off for the day, and lets them know he’ll address any unfinished assignments first thing in the morning.

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The very first thing he says is, “Fred, you look great!” to a homeless man napping under a pile of newspapers.

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The first thing I do now when faced with a financial decision is ask about the purpose of the money.

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