What is the meaning of square one?

noun

  • The situation in which you begin an endeavor and to which you return if your efforts fail.
    • usage: "the police are now back at square one after having arrested and released 27 men"; "she has tried to diet but always ends up back at square one"
WordNet 3.0 © 2006 by Princeton University
13
 
|15 years ago|911 views|share |citing 
APAWordNet. (2010). square one. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/square_one/definitions/1244943
ChicagoWordNet. 2010. "square one" http://smartdefine.org/square_one/definitions/1244943 (accessed September 20, 2026).
HarvardWordNet 2010, square one, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/square_one/definitions/1244943>.
MLAWordNet. "square one" 23 October 2010. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/square_one/definitions/1244943>