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.
Manning did it alone at first, using only his voice to break down quarterbacks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
“Maybe at first it felt Big Brotherish, but my mom realizes now that she needs to hand this over to me.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
He thought at first that this was simply because of an air pocket, but "it took a lot of time, almost a minute".
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
Coverage wouldn’t begin until 2029, at first only for those between the age of 50 to 65, with the upper limit rising one year at a time after that.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
The houses promised by the government were incomplete, the cement still wet, so they slept outdoors at first, terrified of snakes and other wild animals in the bushy new clearing.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
