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Definitions

from scratch

ADVERB
from the very beginning
Synonyms
WEAK
from square one from the ground up from the top initially

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Where records no longer exist, such as with Some Mother's Son, Grimstead says the only option is to rebuild the investigation from scratch.

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026

The students did not begin entirely from scratch.

From Science Daily • Apr. 27, 2026

They say renovating crumbling Soviet-era buildings is more expensive than starting from scratch, and that the region urgently needs more housing for its rapidly growing population of some 80 million.

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

Which brings us back to Carlson, who understands that major publishers aren’t a censoring force to be circumvented, which is why he has partnered with Skyhorse rather than trying to build something entirely from scratch.

From Salon • Apr. 18, 2026

Thus, he had a long time to think undisturbed about how he should reorganize his life from scratch.

From "The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka