start off

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

Miami was a three-touchdown favorite, and the game started off according to plan for the Hurricanes. — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026

The reveal started off with the roadster climbing a ramp which eventually left it inverted. — Byron Hurd, The Drive, 16 Oct. 2026

Co-written by playwright (and Succession co-writer) Will Arbery, Sacrifice starts off as a showbiz satire that eventually transforms into a cross between Apocalypse Now and The Lord of the Rings. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026

Still, the event did start off with a bang when Best Buy employees celebrated the first person to purchase an actual RTX Spark from the store. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026

Rhymes for start off

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