at first

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.

They tend to form gradually as confidence begins to fracture, often invisibly at first.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

By comparison with some of the nefarious plotters in that show, Titus is a bit of an also-ran—at least at first.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

“All of a sudden I’m looking at really horrific images and at first you have nightmares — and at a certain point you kind of adjust,” he says.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026

"The fracture caused a very loud snapping noise that actually startled me. I thought at first the machine had broken, but soon realized that the noise came from the stretching fluid."

From Science Daily • Mar. 30, 2026

I don’t even take in what she’s said at first.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler