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Meaning & use

start out

verb·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˌstɑːt ˈaʊt/
US/ˌstɑːrt ˈaʊt/

Meanings

  1. verbintransitive

    to begin your life or career in a particular way or job before moving on to something else

    Grammar: No object; often followed by as + job or by + -ing form: She started out as a waitress.

    Patterns

    • start out as something
    • start out by doing something
    • start out in a place or job

    He started out as a delivery driver before opening his own restaurant.

    Many famous actors start out in small theater roles.

    She started out by teaching English in a village school.

  2. verbintransitive

    to begin an activity, journey, or period in a particular way

    Grammar: No object; often followed by with + noun or by + -ing form: We started out with high hopes.

    Patterns

    • start out with something
    • start out by doing something

    The meeting started out with a short video.

    We started out early to avoid the traffic.

    The project started out as a simple idea and grew quickly.

Word forms

third person singularstarts out
past tensestarted out
past participlestarted out
-ing formstarting out

Common combinations

start out as
She started out as a volunteer at the animal shelter.
start out with
The band started out with just two members.
start out small
Most businesses start out small and grow over time.
start out early
We started out early to catch the first ferry.

Synonyms and how they differ

begin
Begin is more general and can be transitive or intransitive; start out specifically suggests a first stage in a longer development.
start off
Very similar, and often preferred in British English; start out is more common in American English for life or career beginnings.
set out
Set out often means to begin a journey or a task with a clear aim; start out is broader and focuses on the starting point.

Opposites

end upfinish

Word family

start verb
to begin doing something or to make something begin
starter noun
the first course of a meal, or a person or thing that starts something

Commonly confused: start out or start off?

start out vs start off

Start off is very similar and often interchangeable, but it is more common in British English and can also mean to make someone laugh or argue suddenly.

Practice

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