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

Crews were going to start with one of the two water systems and see how the temperature responds.

From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026

Pirro’s allegations were suspect to start with; the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee said Powell did not commit a crime in his testimony on the building.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026

"What makes these scams quite convincing is when they phone someone to start with, they already seem to know some details about the person," he said.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

While they may pay off eventually, to start with at least, “a new technology initially delivers more splash than macroeconomic results.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

Four hours would be plenty to start with.

From "Lyddie" by Katherine Paterson

Related Words

• initially
• originally