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.
It’s unclear what the two men say to each other but Hanks appears to bring up an issue to André who seemingly shrugs it off at first.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
“Maybe at first it felt Big Brotherish, but my mom realizes now that she needs to hand this over to me.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
When originalist analysis seems at first to lead to a result that makes no sense, judges should check their work.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
He thought at first that this was simply because of an air pocket, but "it took a lot of time, almost a minute".
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
It was silvery in the moonlight, a spreading circle at first, but then the pool began to creep toward the door.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
