as in originally
in the beginning
we initially intended to rebuild our hurricane-damaged home from the ground up
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Recent Examples of initially
In 2024, El's closed for nine months for a major renovation—a change that initially worried longtime regulars.
—
Abby Price, Southern Living, 22 Oct. 2025
Auguste was initially projected to win the seat by just 35 votes.
—Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2025
The student who Kamo’s son was initially trying to avoid began punching him.
—Silas Allen, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Oct. 2025
Britain's Sudden Change of Tone on Monarchy Andrew agreed to give up use of royal titles, including Duke of York, on Friday, and initially, there was a softer tone to Government comments as Ed Miliband told the BBC that ministers left such matters up to the palace.
—Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for initially
Abby Price, Southern Living, 22 Oct. 2025
Auguste was initially projected to win the seat by just 35 votes.
—Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2025
The student who Kamo’s son was initially trying to avoid began punching him.
—Silas Allen, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Oct. 2025
Britain's Sudden Change of Tone on Monarchy Andrew agreed to give up use of royal titles, including Duke of York, on Friday, and initially, there was a softer tone to Government comments as Ed Miliband told the BBC that ministers left such matters up to the palace.
—Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for initially
Recent Examples of Synonyms for initially
originally
Adverb
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Clay was originally charged with second-degree murder.—
Kelsey Lentz,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
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Robert Townsend was originally announced for the part in September, but the creative team decided to go in a different direction and have recast the role with Romano.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Initially.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/initially. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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