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

The first thing the 1,000 men and women of the United States Naval Academy do, after hearing the artillery fire, is scream, tear off their shirts, and charge toward me.

From Slate • Jun. 24, 2026

"The first thing you do is think about family, about our children who leave for work at 5 am," she said.

From Barron's • Jun. 23, 2026

The first thing they ate after crossing onto the island.

From Salon • Jun. 22, 2026

“I don’t have a house, I’m homeless. So she’s like, ‘Well, the first thing we have to do is get you somewhere to live in Nashville.’

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2026

The first thing Irian did was make her way to the library, her face set with concentration.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell