start off
phrasal verbstart off
- to begin to move
- The horse started off at a steady trot.
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- to begin happening; to begin doing something
- The discussion started off mildly enough.
- to begin by doing or being something
- Let's start off with some gentle exercises.
- We started off by introducing ourselves.
- We'll start off by doing some warm-up exercises.
- + adj. The leaves start off green but turn red later.
- start off doing something I started off working quite hard, but it didn't last.
start something off
- to begin doing something; to make something begin
- Let's start off the discussion by defining what we mean by ‘software architecture’.
- How are we going to start everything off?
start somebody off (on something)
- [no passive] to make somebody begin doing something
- What started her off on that crazy idea?
- Don't say anything to her—you'll start her off again (= make her get angry).
- start somebody off doing something Kevin started us all off laughing.
- to help somebody begin doing something
- My mother started me off on the piano when I was three.
- start somebody off doing something His father started him off farming.