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first things first

Idioms  

  1. The most important task gets priority, as in I very much wanted to see that movie, but first things first—the paper's due tomorrow. This adage was first recorded in 1545.

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.

But first things first: What the heck is a three-part Berlusconi biography doing on ESPN?

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 12, 2025

Melvoin said that’s an admirable strategy, but first things first.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 29, 2025

And, first things first, thank you for doing this.

From New York Times • Apr. 3, 2024

But first things first Sunday in LA, to show anew why the first impression of the season for the Seahawks won’t be the lasting one.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 18, 2023

“You’re an active young lady. We want to get you a leg that can keep up with you. But first things first, and that is to get you walking.”

From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.