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

The Nintendo Direct started off with a teaser for the sequel, which showed Mario sleeping under a tree with Princess Peach’s castle in the distance as the camera panned up to space. —Jordan Moreau, Variety, 12 Sep. 2025

Week 2 of the 2025 campaign starts off strong on Thursday night, as the Washington Commanders (1-0) and Green Bay Packers (1-0) meet at Lambeau Field in a matchup of two of the top teams in the NFC. —Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025

Despite Denver’s restaurant scene starting off the year with concerns about its well-being, aspiring chefs and restaurant owners have pressed onward. —Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 10 Sep. 2025

Is Sheen an iconic actor who was a drug addict or an iconic drug addict who started off as an actor? —Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2025

Rhymes for start off

• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff
• playoff