at first

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

They tend to form gradually as confidence begins to fracture, often invisibly at first.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

Smee admits he knew little about California plants and soil at first, but he says he has since become more connected to the land.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

Officers there were at first confused, then alarmed by the amount she had transferred.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

"The fracture caused a very loud snapping noise that actually startled me. I thought at first the machine had broken, but soon realized that the noise came from the stretching fluid."

From Science Daily • Mar. 30, 2026

Oh, sure, she’d seemed fairly reasonable at first, except for being scared to talk on the telephone.

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix