first off

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for first off
Adverb
  • Ambush began with a brush fire Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said firefighters first responded to an early afternoon report of a brushfire at Canfield Mountain, a popular hiking and biking area near the outskirts of town.
    Rebecca Boone, Chicago Tribune, 1 July 2025
  • The ages of rocks at this time were known only in a relative sense — as in, what formed first and what followed.
    Laura Poppick, Rolling Stone, 30 June 2025
Adverb
  • Huawei is now pushing a third mobile OS, bringing real competition to iOS and Android for the first time in a decade.
    Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
  • The techy Ascent series has gotten an upgrade in the last year or so, but the older models (now on sale) are still good.
    Brittany Romano, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 July 2025
Adverb
  • Home Depot stores will open at their regular times on July 4, according to a company spokesperson, and will close early at 8 p.m. local time.
    Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 5 July 2025
  • So Garrett leaned into the execution of his sinker early and splitter late to work around a single in the eighth and to retire the side in order in the ninth, keeping Judge in the on-deck circle for the final out.
    Tim Britton, New York Times, 5 July 2025
Adverb
  • Things obviously don’t run smoothly in your lookout tower, and before long a simple summer job turns into something of a psychological thriller.
    Barry Collins, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
  • Their characters here were killed before long, but Kevin Williamson, who co-created the original series with Plec, told EW recently that their scene was meant to last longer.
    Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 26 June 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.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“First off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/first%20off. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!