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 + with

I 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

Winkler’s Fonzie initially started out as a recurring character on the first season of Happy Days, but became such a hit with viewers that he was quickly bumped to main cast status. —EW.com, 25 Oct. 2024

James O’Donnell at the MIT Technology Review starts out talking about real-world applications of new models vis a vis his wedding, and then goes into why o1’s ones chain of thought is important. —John Werner, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024

Did all those other groups start out that way, too? —Lexy Perez, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Oct. 2024

This project started out two years ago as a three-minute salute to Williams on his 90th birthday. —Jon Burlingame, Variety, 21 Oct. 2024