Synonyms of at first

at first

phrase

as in originally

in the beginning

He was a bit skittish at first, but he's since gotten more comfortable around people.

Synonyms & Similar Words

• originally
• primarily
• initially
• firstly
• to start with
• incipiently
• primitively

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• finally
• ultimately
• lastly

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of at first

Directed from a screenplay he co-wrote with Ruth Toma, Ghost Song tells the story of Farasha and Faris, two young teens, who meet at a graduation party and fall in love at first sight. — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 18 Sep. 2026

Houston had runners at first and third with one out in the inning, but Mahle retired Christian Walker on a flyout to shallow center and Taylor Trammell on a groundout to escape the jam. — ABC News, 18 Sep. 2026

Here, the word appears, at first in rainbow colors, below a picture of a non-bitmapped dogcow next to a pool. — Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 17 Sep. 2026

Stocks may decline at first, but don’t expect that to last, strategists at the bank said. — Jeff Cox,darla Mercado, Cfp®, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2026