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

Where records no longer exist, such as with Some Mother's Son, Grimstead says the only option is to rebuild the investigation from scratch.

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026

The students did not begin entirely from scratch.

From Science Daily • Apr. 27, 2026

They say renovating crumbling Soviet-era buildings is more expensive than starting from scratch, and that the region urgently needs more housing for its rapidly growing population of some 80 million.

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

Which brings us back to Carlson, who understands that major publishers aren’t a censoring force to be circumvented, which is why he has partnered with Skyhorse rather than trying to build something entirely from scratch.

From Salon • Apr. 18, 2026

I trudged up the stairs and could hear Father starting the blessing again from scratch.

From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly