as in originally
in the beginning
firstly, gather all the ingredients together
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Recent Examples of firstly
In a recent strategy memo, Senate Democrats’ campaign arm firstly and optimistically assumes the party will hold Michigan and New Hampshire, where Democratic incumbents are choosing not to seek another term, and Georgia, where Sen. Jon Ossoff is.
—
Philip Elliott, Time, 26 Jan. 2026
Um, firstly, thank you everybody for, for, for coming and joining us today for this conversation.
—Outside Online, 21 Jan. 2026
The resurgence of trends that were popular back in the 1990s came firstly as quite the surprise.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 30 Oct. 2025
That's firstly true about the size of the drone itself.
—New Atlas, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for firstly
Philip Elliott, Time, 26 Jan. 2026
Um, firstly, thank you everybody for, for, for coming and joining us today for this conversation.
—Outside Online, 21 Jan. 2026
The resurgence of trends that were popular back in the 1990s came firstly as quite the surprise.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 30 Oct. 2025
That's firstly true about the size of the drone itself.
—New Atlas, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for firstly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for firstly
Adverb
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Trump has continued to praise the bilateral relationship since returning to the White House, even after his Beijing visit, originally scheduled for March, was postponed due to the early stages of the Iran war.—
Will Weissert,
Fortune,
10 May 2026
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Mello writes for Berkeleyside, which originally published this story.—
Felicia Mello,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
Adverb
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When Danh was initially hospitalized overseas on April 9, doctors diagnosed her with acute liver failure, among other serious health issues.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
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The motorcycle operator, Santiago, was found suffering from serious injuries and was rushed to an area hospital where he was initially listed in critical condition, Boisvert said.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Firstly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/firstly. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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