start from scratch
idiom
: to begin from a point at which nothing has been done yet
Nothing like this had ever been done before, so we had to start from scratch.
Examples of start from scratch in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
New lessons in how to accomplish things with this front office would start from scratch.
—
Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Because the house was already full of furniture, the designer, Allison Allen, didn’t have to start from scratch.
—Zoe Gowen, Southern Living, 29 Dec. 2025
In the end, Oracle could just start from scratch and create its own recommendation algorithm, which would not be hard.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 19 Dec. 2025
Refresh your home or start from scratch with curtains, mattresses, blankets, chairs, couches, mirrors, and more.
—Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for start from scratch
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Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Because the house was already full of furniture, the designer, Allison Allen, didn’t have to start from scratch.
—Zoe Gowen, Southern Living, 29 Dec. 2025
In the end, Oracle could just start from scratch and create its own recommendation algorithm, which would not be hard.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 19 Dec. 2025
Refresh your home or start from scratch with curtains, mattresses, blankets, chairs, couches, mirrors, and more.
—Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for start from scratch
Cite this Entry
“Start from scratch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/start%20from%20scratch. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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