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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.

The students did not begin entirely from scratch.

From Science Daily • Apr. 27, 2026

The American woman, who does not speak Spanish, admits it's been difficult to start from scratch in an unfamiliar country.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 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

Carl Sagan said that if you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe.

From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon