How to Use at first in a Sentence

at first

phrase
  • Wimbledon’s roots were not quite of the people, at least not at first.
    — Nick Pachelli, Time, 11 July 2026
  • Some species have droppings that look like ground pepper or coffee at first glance.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 1 July 2026
  • He was set to start at first and hit sixth for the A’s on Friday.
    — Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 11 July 2026
  • What may seem like a gimmick at first actually makes a lot of sense.
    — New Atlas, 2 July 2026
  • The joke, at first, was how ill-suited for the gig Friedland was on paper.
    — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 29 June 2026
  • Things seem normal at first but quickly devolve once nighttime rolls around.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026
  • Bregman threw it to Busch at first to pick up a second out and stymie the Twins’ threat.
    — Andy Martinez, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2026
  • They will both be limited to accounts set to English at first.
    — Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 14 July 2026
  • Candied yams might sound outdated to younger attendees, but this dish will be love at first bite.
    — Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 11 July 2026
  • Bird flu symptoms in humans can look like a bad cold at first, so tell your doctor about any contact with sick birds.
    — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026
  • Melink said no structures had been damaged by the fire, despite there being that concern at first.
    — Matan Josephy, Idaho Statesman, 6 July 2026
  • Graf had been ill for decades before the transplant, at first, with unexplained shortness of breath.
    — Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 8 July 2026
  • Cautious at first, Willis gradually opened up about the highs and lows of his career.
    — George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 July 2026
  • There are so many staircases and hallways and doors everywhere, which makes the place feel a little like a maze at first.
    — Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 10 July 2026
  • If your petunias looked stunning at first, but are starting to lag a bit, a lack of nutrients is probably to blame.
    — Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 July 2026
  • To a user, or even another agent, these sites may appear legitimate at first glance.
    — Sammy Ahmed, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
  • Zach Neto walked to begin the inning but got picked off at first base attempting to steal second.
    — Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
  • This season, the Mets have Baty playing all over the field, seeing time at first, second and third base, and right field.
    — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 17 July 2026
  • Yet, paradoxically, these patterns can make the fabric a lot easier to style than at first glance.
    — Brett F. Braley-Palko, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
  • There were just six students at first, but the program began to grow almost immediately.
    — Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 28 June 2026
  • That shift may appear subtle at first glance, but its implications for business leaders are enormous.
    — Chad Angle, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
  • Manzardo got the out at first, while Braden Montgomery scored to give the Sox a 7-6 lead.
    — Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
  • Frazier started the school’s speech program in 2010 when the school first opened, with just six students involved at first.
    — Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 29 June 2026
  • Ewing reached on a fielding error by Olson at first base and scored on Soto's homer to left field in the third inning.
    — ABC News, 3 July 2026
  • Ahead, discover 12 European grocery summer nail ideas that are amore at first sight.
    — Amanda Le, InStyle, 9 July 2026
  • Some of those deals have worked out well — trading Ferris and Hope brought in Michael Busch, their long-term answer at first base.
    — Sahadev Sharma, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • Locals kept their distance at first, though officials eventually placed traffic cones around him for his own protection.
    — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
  • Lorde’s and Parker’s letters are forthright and funny from the start, but the other writers are reticent and polite at first.
    — Literary Hub, 13 July 2026
  • Brady toyed with Gronkowski at first, hitting a Cane’s logo just above the target on purpose, and did so again with a different one.
    — Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 18 July 2026
  • Koss threw backwards and tried to nab Moreno at first, but the throw deflected off Moreno and bounced into the Giants’ first-base dugout.
    — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 2 July 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'at first.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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