first dibs on

idiom

US, informal

: choice of (something) before anyone else gets to pick

The farm always gives first dibs on its vegetables to local families.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Others are reading:Concerns about blackouts in the Midwest pit renewables against fossil fuels House Bill 1420 would give utilities first dibs on projects to upgrade and expand transmission infrastructure, which is needed to get the energy from where it's produced to where it's needed. —Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 3 Apr. 2023

An omnibus bill to stand up Maryland’s legal cannabis market gives medical cannabis license holders first dibs on selling recreational cannabis and seeks to foster social equity — something lawmakers say no other state has managed to do. —Ovetta Wiggins, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2023

Rust’s financiers would have had first dibs on the proceeds as unsecured creditors. —Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Oct. 2022

Emily would like to have some of the shrapnel as souvenirs, but the FHI has first dibs on them, as evidence. —Jerry Adler, Good Housekeeping, 14 July 2022

That remains to be seen because for now at least, these countries have first dibs on Google’s other business plan for Africa – a $10 million fund that will issue low-interest loans to small businesses in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa. —Alexander Onukwue, Quartz, 6 Oct. 2021

Hans Liang, president of the AFSCME Local 685 union, said his hope is that the county supervisors make good on their promise that his union’s members would have first dibs on jobs in the Department of Youth Development. —Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 25 Nov. 2020

The park is going ahead, and opened its reservation system Monday morning to season passholders, who get first dibs on the park for the first two days of operation this summer. —cleveland, 30 June 2020

Chancellor McCormick, who has first dibs on any proceeding that comes before the court, chose herself of among a court of seven judges to oversee one of the most high profile corporate court battles in years. —Lauren Hirsch, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2022

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