start out

phrasal verb

started out; starting out; starts out

1

: to begin in a specified way

He started out by introducing himself.

She started out at a slow jog.

The day started out hot and humid.

The story started out good, but I didn't like the ending.

She started out wanting to be a doctor but became a midwife instead.

—often + with

I started out with $100 but I have only $10 left.

Let's start out with some warm-up exercises.

2

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

What started out as a simple idea has become an expensive and complicated project.

He started out in teaching before becoming a lawyer.

3

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

The couple is just starting out.

She started out on a career in teaching.

4

: to begin a trip

They started out in the early morning.

5

: to have a particular place as a beginning point

The parade starts out at the intersection of First and Main.

Examples of start out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Trier’s mother, Hilde Løchen, had started out as a director herself but ended up in television journalism, eventually leading the news division of Norway’s main broadcaster, NRK. —Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025

Bernard, who started out at Michigan State before following Kalen DeBoer to Washington and then Alabama, has been a hyper-competitive playmaker all year. —Dane Brugler, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025

Pacific Northwest From November 1–6, the region will start out rainy before turning sunny and cool. —Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025

Englund started out young, landing theater roles by age 12. —Jenelle Riley, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025

Rhymes for start out

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout