at the first sign
idiom
: as soon as something happens that indicates an action or event has begun to take place
The bartender called the police at the first sign of trouble.
At the first sign of spring she planted annuals in her flower beds.
Examples of at the first sign in a Sentence
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People who work to develop those skills are less likely to quit at the first sign of trouble and more likely to have the confidence to bounce back from a failure or setback, giving themselves a better shot a succeeding in the future.
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Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 10 Oct. 2025
Protect yourself at the first sign of coercion or impropriety.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 6 Oct. 2025
Emergency management blasts out alerts at the first sign of drizzle, warning residents that in the heart of the Sacramento Mountains, one inch of rain can turn into a river of death.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2025
Because the future belongs to those who don’t freeze at the first sign of change.
—Frank Sorrentino, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for at the first sign
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Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 10 Oct. 2025
Protect yourself at the first sign of coercion or impropriety.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 6 Oct. 2025
Emergency management blasts out alerts at the first sign of drizzle, warning residents that in the heart of the Sacramento Mountains, one inch of rain can turn into a river of death.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2025
Because the future belongs to those who don’t freeze at the first sign of change.
—Frank Sorrentino, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for at the first sign
Cite this Entry
“At the first sign.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/at%20the%20first%20sign. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
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