at the outset

Idioms  

1. Also, from the outset. At the start, from the start. For example, He wanted to explain his position from the outset, but there wasn't time, or At the outset the problem seemed simple, but then it became quite complicated. The noun outset is rarely heard today except in these phrases. [Mid-1700s]

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Example Sentences

Alas, note at the outset that Beijing itself doesn’t believe the economy is improving.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

Joe Sterling, one of the best three-point shooters in the country, tried to put up a three-point attempt from long range at the outset of the third quarter on Wednesday night at Sierra Canyon.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 22, 2026

The numbers aren’t wildly off from Lewis’s one-store measure — before the pandemic, at the outset of 2020, a pound of steak was $7.64, and now it’s $12.51, on the BLS numbers.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 21, 2026

“The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind,” he proclaimed at the outset.

From Salon • Jan. 10, 2026

Professor Murray seemed, at the outset, relatively knowledgeable, but that was until Berrange began his cross-examination.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Related Words

• initially
• originally