start out
phrasal verb
started out; starting out; starts out
1
: to begin in a specified way
He started out by introducing himself.
She started out at a slow jog.
The day started out hot and humid.
The story started out good, but I didn't like the ending.
She started out wanting to be a doctor but became a midwife instead.
—often + withI started out with $100 but I have only $10 left.
Let's start out with some warm-up exercises.
2
: to have a specified quality, identity, job, etc., at the start
What started out as a simple idea has become an expensive and complicated project.
He started out in teaching before becoming a lawyer.
3
: to begin an important period in one's life or career
The couple is just starting out.
She started out on a career in teaching.
4
: to begin a trip
They started out in the early morning.
5
: to have a particular place as a beginning point
The parade starts out at the intersection of First and Main.
Examples of start out in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
After starting out in the CIA’s records department in 1957 while a student at Howard University in Washington, D.C., Hocker was later promoted to be an analyst at the CIA.
—
Dan De Luce, NBC News, 4 July 2024
The film starts out by introducing Amar (Aamir Khan) and Prem (Salman Khan, no relation), two lazy boys with big dreams and schemes for getting rich and famous.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 28 June 2024
Trump, 78, who started out on an uncharacteristic calm and even keel, lashed back at Biden, calling him a liar.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 28 June 2024
Evil Does Not Exist is not only the soundtrack to the film of the same name (from Drive My Car director Ryusuke Hamaguchi), but also an impetus for the film itself, which started out as a visual counterpart to Eiko Ishibashi’s live performances of the songs.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 28 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for start out 
Dan De Luce, NBC News, 4 July 2024
The film starts out by introducing Amar (Aamir Khan) and Prem (Salman Khan, no relation), two lazy boys with big dreams and schemes for getting rich and famous.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 28 June 2024
Trump, 78, who started out on an uncharacteristic calm and even keel, lashed back at Biden, calling him a liar.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 28 June 2024
Evil Does Not Exist is not only the soundtrack to the film of the same name (from Drive My Car director Ryusuke Hamaguchi), but also an impetus for the film itself, which started out as a visual counterpart to Eiko Ishibashi’s live performances of the songs.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 28 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for start out
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'start out.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near start out
Cite this Entry
“Start out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/start%20out. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
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