start off

phrasal 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 temperature on the field was scorching, yet Ryan started off cold. —Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2025

Trump started off his college days at Fordham University in the Bronx in 1964 but transferred to Wharton two years later. —Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025

Kansas City, though, is looking to start off on the right foot in Brazil, going against a tough AFC West rival in the Chargers, led by second-year head coach Jim Harbaugh. —Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2025

One of the dancers in Foniadakis’ work, for instance, is Piper Panek, a member of CB2 – a group made up of younger and less experienced dancers just starting off in their professional careers. —David Lyman, Cincinnati Enquirer, 4 Sep. 2025

Rhymes for start off

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