start off

phrasal verb

started off; starting off; starts off

1

: to start or cause (something) to start in a specified way

He started off by introducing himself.

She started off (her run) at a slow jog.

The performance started off badly.

—often + with

I started off my speech with a joke.

We started off the meal with shrimp cocktails.

The team started the season off with a 10-game winning streak.

2

: to have a specified quality, identity, job, etc., at the start

She started off as a sales assistant but is now the marketing director.

3

: to begin an important period in one's life or career

The house is perfect for a couple just starting off.

4

: to begin to move toward a particular place or in a particular direction

She ate breakfast before starting off for work.

5

: to cause (someone) to begin doing a particular activity or action

He started his daughter off on the piano.

The game-show host started her off with some easy questions.

Examples of start off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Things started off in a typically slow way The day started out routinely enough, with networks looking to fill time till polls started closing. —Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 6 Nov. 2024

The second half of the 2024 NFL season is upon us, and Week 10 starts off strong with a crucial AFC North showdown between the Bengals and Ravens on Thursday night. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024

The skit started off by revisiting some of the most talked about campaigning moments over the past week, with Maya Rudolph continuing her portrayal of Harris and James Austin Johnson, clad in a garbage vest, parodying Trump. —Rebecca Schneid, TIME, 3 Nov. 2024

Things started off slow, with the company bringing in just $2,595 in its first month. —Mike Winters,lauren Shamo, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2024