start out
Britishverb
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to set out on a journey
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to take the first steps, as in life, one's career, etc
he started out as a salesman
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to take the first actions in an activity in a particular way or specified aim
they started out wanting a house, but eventually bought a flat
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.
Just because you start out being a size 6, doesn't mean you'll remain a size 6.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
So did this project start out as a chronicle of discovery and processing this information with your dad?
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Didn’t you start out saying that team owners want a salary cap to level the playing field?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
Other communication signals may start out serving entirely different purposes, such as helping animals care for offspring or resolve conflicts.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 20, 2026
We really didn’t start out inviting too many kids, but the more Lorraine and I thought of the parties we had been invited to, the more we had to call.
From "The Pigman" by Paul Zindel
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.
