from scratch — starting from the very beginning without any previous work or preparation
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: starting from the very beginning without any previous work or preparation
Pronunciation (IPA): /frʌm skrætʃ/
Example Sentences
- My grandmother's cookies taste better because she makes them from scratch, unlike my mom who just opens a package.
- After the computer virus, I had to rebuild my entire project from scratch.
- He's so rich now, but he built his empire from scratch, starting with just a food truck.
from scratch
NOUN[/frʌm skrætʃ/]
starting from the very beginning without any previous work or preparation

starting from the very beginning without any previous work or preparation

Starting from scratch, she'll catch the taste that'll match!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The phrase 'from scratch' originated in sports contexts, where 'scratch' referred to a line drawn or marked on the ground at the starting point of a race. The metaphorical extension to mean 'from the beginning' or 'from nothing' derives from the literal image of competitors starting from this marked line.
Breakdown
from (preposition, denoting origin or starting point) + scratch (noun, originally a line marked on the ground; from Middle English 'scratchen', to cut or scrape a surface).
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My grandmother's cookies taste better because she makes them from scratch, unlike my mom who just opens a package.”
“After the computer virus, I had to rebuild my entire project from scratch.”
“He's so rich now, but he built his empire from scratch, starting with just a food truck.”
“Learning Korean from scratch is harder than I thought - I can't even read the menu!”
📚Related Words
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