square one
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of square one
First recorded in 1955–60; alluding to board games in which a player is penalized by being forced to return to the starting point
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.
That leaves investors back to square one, in some respects, in terms of assessing the market’s path into the second half of the year.
From Barron's • Jun. 23, 2026
If not, we are back to square one.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026
Aston Martin is still at square one, despite making Adrian Newey, the most successful designer in F1 history, one of the highest paid people in the sport.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 8, 2026
"I was back to square one," he explains.
From BBC • Feb. 14, 2026
Katz, it was quickly evident, was starting from square one—actually, several score pancake breakfasts to the wrong side of square one.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
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.
