to start with

Idioms  

1. Also, to begin with. In the first place, initially, as in We'll notify him by e-mail to start with, or To begin with, they haven't paid their taxes in years. The first term dates from the second half of the 1800s, the variant from the mid-1500s. Also see for openers.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

to start with

“We really wanted to start with baby steps to get people used to outside and then go into letting your kids take the lead and learn from them.”

From Slate ● Sep. 5, 2026

Like all generational debates, to define what makes “millennial art,” we have to start with what it is not.

From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026

I need to be wealthy,’ or ‘I need to start with $5,000 or $10,000’ ” to invest, said Matt Gellene, head of specialized consumer client solutions at Bank of America.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026

Although the house does prevent heat entering the home, it does need cooler air to start with.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

This also wasn’t true, but it’s what Mr. MacPherson had told him to start with.

From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness

Related Words

• initially
• originally