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.

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

to start with

It is at times slightly demanding and readers may wish to start with the elegant synthesis in Mr. Higham’s final chapter before going back to see how he arrived at it.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026

But SpaceX won’t have a major impact on retirement plans to start with, experts note.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 26, 2026

When talking about this Ghana squad it would be remiss not to start with their star man, Manchester City winger Antoine Semenyo.

From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026

It was supposed to start with a jazz club and end with a tour of late-night sushi bars, until Fernando said, “I feel like a bummer.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026

“Is it a requirement your name has to start with the letter B to work for the man?”

From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland

Related Words

• initially
• originally