- (intransitive)
to set out on a journey to be or make the first step in an activity; initiate: she started the show off with a lively song - (transitive)
to cause (a person) to act or do something, such as to laugh, to tell stories, etc
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
'start off' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):