first off

adverb

Definition of first offnext
as in first

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Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for first off
  1. first
  2. now
  3. early
  4. before long
Adverb
  • In his opening remarks after the 52-16 win, coach Curt Cignetti mentioned the heat first.
    — Christopher Kamrani, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • The student first wrote to the nursing board, asking if the school was authorized to offer an associate degree program.
    — Annie Martin, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of first
Adverb
  • Goldman Sachs economist Daan Struyven warned in a recent note that prices could still reach $120 a barrel as the war, now in its seventh month, continues to disrupt shipping.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Terry has been shoved over the railing by an unknown assailant, and is now bleeding out on the floor below.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of now
Adverb
  • Programs such as HyCAT are intended to provide more frequent opportunities to test technologies in realistic flight conditions, potentially allowing developers to identify problems earlier and iterate more quickly.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The National Weather Service called for blowing dust early Friday evening and a 20% chance of rain on Sunday for nearby Gerlach, Nevada, a community of 58 people about 100 miles north of Reno.
    — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of early
Adverb
  • Benton suggested that there’s a chance AI systems could come to exist as a sort of separate species before long.
    — Jared Perlo, NBC news, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The visits became more frequent, and before long, they were romantically and creatively conjoined.
    — Marlow Stern, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of before long
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.

Browse Nearby Words

first names
first off
first-rate
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Cite this Entry

“First off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/first%20off. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

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