partida1

¹ = departure, leaving.

Ex. Apart from its undoubted value in its own right, Sears' provides a valuable model or point of departure for others.

Ex. Tom Hernandez tried not to show how sad he felt about his friends' leaving, and managed to keep up a cheerful facade until the party broke up.

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* de partida = from the beginning, from the outset, from the start.

* las cosas + volver + a su punto de partida = the wheel + turn + full circle.

* punto de partida = point of departure, starting point, take-off point, baseline [base line], beginning point.

* ser el punto de partida de = form + the basis of.

* servir de punto de partida = point + the way to.

* tomar como punto de partida = build on/upon.

* un buen lugar de partida = a good place to start.

* volver al punto de partida = come + full circle, bring + Pronombre + full-circle, go back to + square one, be back to square one.