square one

SEE SYNONYMS FOR square one ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a starting point; initial stage or step: If this plan fails, we'll have to go back to square one.

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
Question 1 of 10
decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
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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

Words nearby square one

square mile, square millimeter, square number, square of opposition, square off, square one, square one's shoulders, square peg in a round hole, square piano, square rod, square root
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to square one

beginning, outset