come first

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come first (third-person singular simple present comes first, present participle coming first, simple past came first, past participle come first)

1. (idiomatic) To win first place in a competition.

   Sally came first in the calligraphy competition.

2. (idiomatic) To be the most important thing to consider.

   Near-synonym: override

   Don't forget: safety comes first.

   • 1987 September 14, Rick Nowels, Ellen Shipley, “Heaven Is a Place on Earth”, in Heaven on Earth‎^[1], performed by Belinda Carlisle:

     Ooh, baby, do you know what that's worth? / Ooh, heaven is a place on Earth / They say in heaven, love comes first / We'll make heaven a place on Earth / Ooh, heaven is a place on Earth