first off

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for first off
Adverb
  • The shoe has moved fluidly through fashion eras, first embraced as a practical but polished pump and later evolving into an entire family of silhouettes — including the Varina flat introduced in 2007, the Vanna ballet flat style, slingbacks, mary janes and sandal iterations.
    Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Dark matter, first proposed in the 1930s, is thought to make up roughly a quarter of the universe.
    Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2025
Adverb
  • Swinney didn't have any additional details about the injury, which arrives as the Tigers have now fallen to 3-4 overall and 2-3 in the ACC.
    Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Oct. 2025
  • The continent that invented and spun out the internet from its first-class research institutions now risks standing by as US founders scale with ease.
    Jan Hammer, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2025
Adverb
  • As early as the 1620s, the Dutch and English settlers who established farming and fishing communities came into conflict with the remnants of Algonquian-speaking peoples.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 18 Oct. 2025
  • When people skip screening, doctors are less likely to catch breast cancer at earlier, more treatable stages.
    Julia Landwehr, Health, 18 Oct. 2025
Adverb
  • Leo’s cousin started introducing him to other kids around town, and before long, Leo found a group that shared his taste in music.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Oct. 2025
  • The 20-year-old is currently around Spurs’ first-team squad, covering for long-term injury absentee Radu Dragusin, but will likely head out on loan before long.
    Tim Spiers, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“First off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/first%20off. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.

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