from scratch

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.

Example Sentences

The school also worked to burnish its reputation in harder sciences, building a molecular engineering program from scratch and a 10-story state-of-the-art biomedical research center.

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However, she admits that carving a pumpkin from scratch, with nothing but a sharp knife, isn’t an easy feat.

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“You need to start from scratch with the basics and tune out all the noise,” Murdoch said.

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Chef Mo, who owns a tiny hole-in-the-wall eatery in Jeonju, forages her own mushrooms on the mountainside, grows produce in her backyard and makes most of her laborious, time-intensive dishes from scratch.

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Francis, 48, says some of the old-time shoemakers have given up trying to create footwear from scratch, and now just fix the mass-produced shoes that have put them out of business.

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