Start from Scratch

Start from Scratch

Definition

“Start from scratch” is an idiom that means to begin a task or project from the very beginning, without any prior progress or advantage. It implies starting with a clean slate and building everything from the ground up. For instance, if baking a cake. If you start from scratch, it means you’re starting with just the basic ingredients like flour, sugar, eggs, and butter. You don’t have any pre-made cake mix or prepared ingredients. You have to measure, mix, and bake everything yourself to create the cake from the very beginning.

This phrase is often used to emphasize the idea of starting anew or starting with nothing. It can apply to various situations, not just baking. “Starting from scratch” can also refer to learning something completely new. For instance, if you decide to learn a musical instrument, you might say you’re starting from scratch because you have no prior knowledge or experience in playing that instrument. You begin at the very beginning, learning the basics and gradually progressing.

Example sentences
After the computer crashed, I had to start from scratch and reinstall all the software.
The artist decided to discard the original painting and start from scratch on a blank canvas.
Our team lost all our progress in the game, so we had to start from scratch and work our way up again.
The architect had to abandon the initial design and start from scratch due to unforeseen structural issues.
The team realized their strategy wasn’t working, so they decided to regroup and start from scratch with a fresh approach.