at first hand

idiom

: in a direct way
I had a chance to verify his claims at first hand.

Examples of at first hand in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web As for the credibility of Israeli witnesses, who else — other than the early responders who encountered the victims at first hand — should be interviewed and quoted by anyone investigating this? Bret Stephens, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024 As the Northern Nevada Organizer for the Moms Clean Air Force, Jennifer Ann Cantley has seen the destruction that wildfires can cause at first hand. Jamie Hailstone, Forbes, 5 Oct. 2021 Yet, in his office, Crawford saw the damage at first hand. Eliza Griswold, The New Yorker, 25 July 2021 Individuals who experienced that searing episode at first hand remained more financially and economically conservative for the balance of their lives. Daniel Tenreiro, National Review, 16 Dec. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'at first hand.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near at first hand

Cite this Entry

“At first hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/at%20first%20hand. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.

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