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 + withI 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
The match started off hot with Slater and Alexander trading blows to begin the match.
—
Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2026
Things went south quickly, the Giants losing 40-0 to start off a 6-11 season.
—Charlotte Carroll, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Wednesday starts off mild, with temperatures sitting in the 40s and 50s.
—Justin Lewis, CBS News, 13 May 2026
The Car Club’s minister, Felton Jenkins, started off the event by calling for an end to violence in Fort Worth, saying there has never been a better time for everyone to come together and spread love than right now.
—Samuel O'Neal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for start off
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Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2026
Things went south quickly, the Giants losing 40-0 to start off a 6-11 season.
—Charlotte Carroll, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Wednesday starts off mild, with temperatures sitting in the 40s and 50s.
—Justin Lewis, CBS News, 13 May 2026
The Car Club’s minister, Felton Jenkins, started off the event by calling for an end to violence in Fort Worth, saying there has never been a better time for everyone to come together and spread love than right now.
—Samuel O'Neal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for start off
Cite this Entry
“Start off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/start%20off. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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