at first

phrase

: at the beginning : initially

Examples of at first in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

García started at first base and went 2 for 4 after being obtained from Washington on Sunday. — ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026

He’s bounced all around the diamond, spending time at first base, second base, third base, shortstop and left field, and the Arraez trade would’ve provided him with an opportunity to settle into one position for the first time all season. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 3 Aug. 2026

There was no notion of beam pattern or glare control at first, just basic visibility in otherwise unlit environments. — Matthew MacConnell, ArsTechnica, 3 Aug. 2026

Family Meal started off as a pandemic project, at first feeding the restaurant’s employees until business could resume as normal. — Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 2 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for at first

• accursed
• amerced
• cloudburst
• coerced
• conversed
• disbursed
• dispersed
• headfirst
• immersed
• outburst
• rehearsed
• reversed