start off

verb

started off; starting off; starts off

1

: to start or cause (something) to start in a specified way

He started off by introducing himself.

She started off (her run) at a slow jog.

The performance started off badly.

—often + with

I started off my speech with a joke.

We started off the meal with shrimp cocktails.

The team started the season off with a 10-game winning streak.

2

: to have a specified quality, identity, job, etc., at the start

She started off as a sales assistant but is now the marketing director.

3

: to begin an important period in one's life or career

The house is perfect for a couple just starting off.

4

: to begin to move toward a particular place or in a particular direction

She ate breakfast before starting off for work.

5

: to cause (someone) to begin doing a particular activity or action

He started his daughter off on the piano.

The game-show host started her off with some easy questions.

Examples of start off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The game started off with a bang as the Seminoles’ Jaylen Lowman forced a fumble on the opening kickoff, which set the offense up with a short field. — Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Aug. 2026

Oswalt started off Bill Mueller, the 2003 AL batting champion, with three consecutive balls. — Stephen J. Nesbitt, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026

How to start off right with your roommate The first conversation with a new roommate matters more than most students realize. — Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 19 Aug. 2026

The overseas expansion started off with opening a store in Singapore in 2019, which has since grown to 65 stores. — Anu Raghunathan, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Rhymes for start off

• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff
• playoff