first thing
idiom
: before anything else : right away : very early
I'll be back first thing (on) Monday morning.
She promised to call first thing in the morning.
Examples of first thing in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Schoen quickly resigned himself to losing kayaks and other river equipment and mentally prepared for a debris cleanup first thing in the morning.
—
Abrielle Kate Maddison, Austin American Statesman, 11 Feb. 2026
When the rest of his team-mates were out partying to celebrate the Europa League triumph last May, Dragusin was still making sure to be back in the gym first thing the next morning.
—Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2026
It’s often crowded, especially the temporary exhibits, so try to arrive first thing in the morning and avoid weekends if possible.
—Katie James Watkinson, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Feb. 2026
The first was to her son Brandon Diebold, who took the stand first thing Thursday morning.
—Erika Stanish, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for first thing
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Abrielle Kate Maddison, Austin American Statesman, 11 Feb. 2026
When the rest of his team-mates were out partying to celebrate the Europa League triumph last May, Dragusin was still making sure to be back in the gym first thing the next morning.
—Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2026
It’s often crowded, especially the temporary exhibits, so try to arrive first thing in the morning and avoid weekends if possible.
—Katie James Watkinson, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Feb. 2026
The first was to her son Brandon Diebold, who took the stand first thing Thursday morning.
—Erika Stanish, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for first thing
Cite this Entry
“First thing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/first%20thing. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
