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.

She said she was sceptical at first, but the scammers provided her with a phone number and told her if she searched it online it would come up as Merseyside Police.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

You don’t need fireworks or an angelic choir singing at first glance.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

Ms. Thompson’s Jacki is at first businesslike, but her warmth toward Nick and her dismay at his plight are revealed when she, too, addresses us directly.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

This may seem like a paradox at first blush.

From Salon • Apr. 8, 2026

I whirl around, at first convinced that the clerk somehow knows my name, and then wondering whether it’s Helen herself, or one of the other girls from dispatch.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse