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

Airing annually since 1988, Shark Week started out as an idea on a napkin discussed among employees of the Discovery Channel, according to The Atlantic. —Dina Kaur, AZCentral.com, 12 July 2025

Born in New Jersey on March 8, 1954, Cathcart started out as a musician, playing keyboards for The Laughing Dog, Dave Brubek and Rupert Holmes. —David Matthews, New York Daily News, 11 July 2025

Nancy McKeon started out on soap operas, including Another World and The Secret Storm. —James Mercadante, EW.com, 11 July 2025

What emerged was a collective sense of vulnerability, shared by those just starting out and those at the top. —Bryanna Symone, Essence, 10 July 2025

Rhymes for start out

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