square one

noun

Synonyms of square onenext
: the initial stage or starting point
the failure set us back to square one

Examples of square one in a Sentence

They lost everything and found themselves back at square one.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Now, lawmakers are back to square one with only a matter of days remaining to address the looming expiration of the enhanced tax credits. Allison Pecorin, ABC News, 11 Dec. 2025 Each arc, several episodes long, ends with the main character, Keiichi, suffering one gruesome fate after another before the show’s timeline resets and we are delivered back to square one with a new arc and new horrors and trials for Keiichi to face. Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025 Instead, the Mets are back to square one, pondering a new kind of disappointment. Tim Britton, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025 That’s if Subramanian doesn’t toss the whole thing or send it back to square one, an unlikely possibility but still a possibility. Dominic Patten, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for square one

Word History

Etymology

from the use of numbered squares in some board games

First Known Use

1960, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of square one was in 1960

Cite this Entry

“Square one.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/square%20one. Accessed 17 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

square one

noun
: the first stage or starting point
back to square one

More from Merriam-Webster on square one

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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