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.

Meanwhile, portable phones, at first the size of bricks, were introduced in 1992.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026

The young and vulnerable man says he did not fully understand what the diagnosis meant at first.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

And yet, though he at first worried he wouldn’t look big enough, Gadd refused to portray Ruben with a chiseled physique conceived for mere aesthetics.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

"It's just literally impossible to predict, except that I think it will be quite slow at first," he said of output.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

He had not gone far when the ground began, infinitesimally at first but then quite unmistakably, to shake under his feet.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell