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

Lewy body dementia symptoms tend to start with rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, such as screaming or kicking during sleep.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026

"It feels only natural to start with Canada," she said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026

"If we want opportunities, we want to be respected, then we need to start with beating teams on the world stage."

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

“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

“They don’t all have to start with A,” Tansy remarked.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

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Related Words

• initially
• originally

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