front-load

verb

ˈfrənt-ˌlōd 

front-loaded; front-loading; front-loads

transitive verb

: to assign costs or benefits to the early stages of (such as a contract, project, or time period)

Examples of front-load in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Below, Becky Rapinchuk, founder of Clean Mama, shares step-by-step instructions for descaling front-load and top-load washing machines. —Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 14 Mar. 2026

Because Pettersson’s contract is front-loaded and signing bonus-laden, there’s virtually no benefit to considering a Pettersson buyout at any point over the duration of his contract. —Thomas Drance, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026

Most of those costs need to be front-loaded. —Peter Cappelli, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2026

The concept began with the original Jimmy Johnson Trade Value Chart in the 1990s and became the standard baseline until the 2000s, when analytics emerged and decision-makers began to question whether Johnson’s system was too front-loaded. —Kansas City Star, 20 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1976, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for front-load

• abode
• anode
• barcode
• bestowed
• boatload
• borrowed
• carload
• caseload
• cathode
• commode
• corrode
• crossroad