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

So instead of starting from scratch, I opted for something that leaned into the shortcuts, unapologetically.

From Salon • Jun. 14, 2026

Microsoft says it built the model "from scratch" with "no distillation" of rival models -- a common shortcut that involves copying a competitor's outputs to train a new system more cheaply and quickly.

From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026

It's better Clarke handles this rather than throwing in a newbie to start from scratch.

From BBC • May 28, 2026

But the speed demanded by the service also required building new systems from scratch.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 23, 2026

In order to give the plot enough spark to grab a radio audience, he’d have to make so many changes to Wells’s story that he’d be starting from scratch.

From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow