as in originally
in the beginning
firstly, gather all the ingredients together
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of firstly
Questions about the forward were bound to be asked, firstly because of the flames around him over the summer and also because Pochettino’s comments about Pulisic sitting out the Gold Cup only served to fan them.
—
Phil Hay, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
This is, firstly, a lot of ground to cover in a project that was ultimately forced to be 82 minutes.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 22 Aug. 2025
Outlining its overall mission, BIFF highlighted three key directions for the festival: firstly, to reaffirm its identity as Asia’s representative film festival, which includes the launch of the competition section.
—Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 30 Apr. 2025
But what the 175 background interviews did was, firstly, reinforced to me that (the band members) were reliable witnesses, certainly of that period of their lives from their childhood forward.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for firstly
Phil Hay, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
This is, firstly, a lot of ground to cover in a project that was ultimately forced to be 82 minutes.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 22 Aug. 2025
Outlining its overall mission, BIFF highlighted three key directions for the festival: firstly, to reaffirm its identity as Asia’s representative film festival, which includes the launch of the competition section.
—Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 30 Apr. 2025
But what the 175 background interviews did was, firstly, reinforced to me that (the band members) were reliable witnesses, certainly of that period of their lives from their childhood forward.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for firstly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for firstly
Adverb
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In fact, this formula was originally created to make the lives of professionals easier when working under the hot lights and HD cameras on set.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
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This article was originally published in 2022 and was most recently updated on September 16, 2025, to include current information.—
Jessie Beck,
AFAR Media,
16 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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Her boyfriend was initially supportive and encouraged her to enjoy the evening, but after asking for a photo of her clothes, his tone shifted.—
Thomas Westerholm,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
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While initially known for maximizing staking income, the firm has become increasingly active in the Solana ecosystem.—
Hadley Stern,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Firstly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/firstly. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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