Start off

start off & starts off starting off started off started off

1. start off (with l by) p.v. When an activity or event starts off, it begins. When you start an activity or event off with something, you begin with it. When you start an activity or event off by doing something, you begin by doing it.

The singer started the concert off with a song from her latest CD.

Many speakers like to start off a speech by telling a joke.

2. start off p.v. When people or things start off a certain way, they are this way at the beginning of a process that changes them. Start out is similar to start off.

The day started off nice, but it got cold and cloudy.

I thought the movie was good, but it started off kind of boring.

1. throw... away p.v. When you throw something away, you dispose of it by

putting it in the wastebasket, trash, and so on. Throw out is the same as throw away.

If you're finished with these papers, throw them away.

Nancy's outside looking in the trash for her wedding ring; it was accidentally thrown away.

2. throw... away p.v. When you throw away something important or valuable, you foolishly do something that causes you to lose it.

This is your last chance to save your marriage, so don't throw it away.

When I got mad and quit my job, I threw away a chance to become vice-president of the company.