from scratch

Idioms  

1. From the very beginning, from the outset; from nothing. For example, I knew we'd have a problem from scratch. Similarly, to start from scratch means “to start from the very beginning,” as in After the business failed, they decided to reorganize and start from scratch. This term comes from racing, where a competitor starts from the line scratched into the ground (whereas others may start ahead with a handicap). [Mid-1800s] Also see from the ground up; from the word go.

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Example Sentences

To take advantage of this weakness, the researchers first synthesized the bacterial sugar and sugar decorated peptides entirely from scratch.

From Science Daily

"It's like a new team coming together. When you get new coaching staff and different ideas, it feels like everyone freshens up and starts from scratch," he said.

From BBC

Her oldest daughter is in transitional kindergarten and out of day care, meaning that Quintanilla had to start from scratch on the waitlist.

From Los Angeles Times

There are stretches of life that invite experimentation, when the kitchen feels like a place to play: new recipes, unfamiliar flavors, the pleasant friction of learning something from scratch.

From Salon

Many decades later, creating meals from scratch – not because I have to, but because I want to – is a cherished avocation.

From Salon