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

Piastri has typically built his pace up through a race weekend, starting out a few steps behind Norris before getting closer to his teammate and then often overhauling him for pole and then the win. —Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025

The idea is that people who work locally, are younger professionals starting out or are aging and looking to downsize will be able to afford these homes. —Kansas City Star, 18 Oct. 2025

And all of these stars all started out calling up regular fans, but now are much more likely to have a celebrity cameo. —Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025

The event was commemorated in style, with a flotilla of yachts in the Arabian Sea, starting out from the historic monument, the Gateway of India. —Mayu Saini, Footwear News, 17 Oct. 2025

Rhymes for start out

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