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

Howell also started out at the age of seven at the AEEPC. —Andy Naylor, New York Times, 30 June 2025

Simmer Heat started out using a university kitchen to create and then deliver healthy meals that could simply be heated up, with students as a key customer group. —Trevor Clawson, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025

Fire anthills, sometimes also called ant beds, start out small but eventually can reach a dimeter of 18 to 24 inches and a height of 18 inches. —Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 29 June 2025

Rhone started out as a men’s performance brand in 2014 and over the years has expanded into a full lifestyle collection. —Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 27 June 2025

Rhymes for start out

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