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A Writer's Dictionary:

start out Definition


Dictionary Home » Words Starting with S » star-crossed ... state school » start out


start
verb started, starting
    tr & intr
    1. To begin; to bring or come into being.
      Thesaurus: begin, set out, commence, open, pioneer, embark on; rise, issue, spring, originate.
    tr & intr
    2. To set or be set in motion, or put or be put into a working state.
      Example: She started the car
    3. To establish or set up.
      Example: started his own business
      Thesaurus: inaugurate, begin, cause, activate, establish, engender, father, instigate, launch, found, create, institute.
    4. To initiate or get going; to cause or set off.
      Example: Harry started the quarrel
    intr
    5. To begin a journey.
      Example: started for home at midday
    intr
    6. To flinch or shrink back suddenly and sharply, eg in fear or surprise.
    intr
    7. colloq
      To begin to behave in an annoying way, eg by picking a quarrel, making a noise, fighting, raising a disagreeable subject, etc.
      Example: Come on, kids! Please don't start
    8. Said of someone's eyes: to bulge.
    9. To drive (an animal) from a lair or hiding-place.
noun
    1. The first or early part.
    2. A beginning, origin or cause.
      Thesaurus: inception, commencement, origin, inauguration, source, derivation, beginning, birth, dawn, outset; Antonym: finish, end.
    3. The time or place at which something starts.
      Example: made an early start
    4. An advantage given or held at the beginning of a race or other contest.
      Example: gave her a two metre start
    5. A help in, or opportunity of, beginning, eg in a career.
      Example: His uncle gave him a start in the business
    6. A sudden flinching or shrinking back.
Idiom: for a start
    As an initial consideration; in the first place.
Idiom: to start with
    Used to introduce a list, especially of complaints, objections, etc: as a first consideration.
    In the beginning; in the first instance.
      Example: She behaved very badly to start with
Etymology: Anglo-Saxon styrten.

Phrasal Verb: start as or start out as something
    To begin a career, etc as it.
      Example: started out as a doctor
Phrasal Verb: start off or out
    To be initially.
      Example: The film starts off in black and white
    To begin a journey, etc.
      Example: We started out yesterday
    To begin (doing a specified thing or with a specified aim in mind).
      Example: started out camping, but the weather was too bad
Phrasal Verb: start something off
    To be the cause of it.
      Example: Anger over the tax started the riots off
    To begin it.
Phrasal Verb: start on someone
    To become suddenly and violently hostile towards them; to turn on them.
Phrasal Verb: start up or start something up
    Said of a car, engine, etc: to run or get it running.To establish it; to put it into action. See also start-up.
      Example: The mums started up their own playgroup
Phrasal Verb: start with something
    To have it at the beginning.
      Example: The book starts with a gruesome murder


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