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.
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
“Solving it with lower leverage rather than price makes sense to us because if you start out conservative, it gives you more cushion if you’re wrong.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
Researchers believe this dramatic transformation helps it resemble the young leaves of rainforest plants, which often start out pink before turning green.
From Science Daily ● May 2, 2026
You may need to decrease your contributions at some point, but if you start out by saving less, it will be harder to catch up.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 28, 2026
The semifinal match did not start out well.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
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.
