start off

verb

1. (intr) to set out on a journey

2. to be or make the first step in an activity; initiate

   he started the show off with a lively song

3. (tr) to cause (a person) to act or do something, such as to laugh, to tell stories, etc

Idioms and Phrases

Set out on a trip, as in We plan to start off in the morning . [Early 1800s] Also see start out .

start someone off . Cause someone to set out or to begin something, as in Mother packed their lunches and started them off , or Paul started them off on their multiplication tables . [Early 1700s] For start off on the right foot , see get off on the right foot .

Example Sentences

"When our children start off in school and maybe display behaviours which are not typical there is a stigma that they are badly behaved," she said.

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“I’m not one of those elite cooks; I’m more relatable in that everybody saw me start off as way worse cooks than they were,” added Park.

Read more on Salon

“Receiving a cash gift from a loved one for your wedding can be a great way to start off married life,” he writes.

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“It definitely didn’t start off the first couple years, let alone the first couple of games the way that we got going,” Adams said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

It works natively with Xbox's Game Pass subscription service out of the box, meaning members will start off with hundreds of games in their library.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• affect 
• animate 
• arouse 
• cause 
• embolden 
• excite 
• galvanize 
• get 
• hearten 
• impress 
• influence 
• instill 
• motivate 
• produce 
• provoke 
• spark 
• spur 
• stir 
• sway 
• touch