at first

phrase

: at the beginning : initially

Examples of at first in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Swims said coming home after being on the road can actually be jarring at first. — ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026

Myers wasn’t even aware of the resources at Music Health Alliance at first. — Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2026

Every year, Dancing With the Stars gets a handful of unexpected breakouts — rising stars whom audiences may not have known at first but have come to love. — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2026

All 176 passengers and crew members on board were killed by Iranian surface-to-air missiles that brought the Boeing 737 airliner down, with Iranian authorities at first covering up the tragedy. — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for at first

• accursed
• amerced
• cloudburst
• coerced
• conversed
• disbursed
• dispersed
• headfirst
• immersed
• outburst
• rehearsed
• reversed