head start

noun

1

: an advantage granted or achieved at the beginning of a race, a chase, or a competition

a 10-minute head start

2

: a favorable or promising beginning

took some extra classes to get a head start in college

Examples of head start in a Sentence

They gave me a five-minute head start.

She took some extra classes to get a head start in her career.

His natural athletic talent gave him a head start on his peers.

Recent Examples on the Web

This head start meant the chip in the phone already knows exactly where to look. —Literary Hub, 17 June 2026

The final days of Georgia’s Republican primary campaigns have exposed internal party fault lines, produced unusual alliances and will test the party’s ability to consolidate quickly to match Democrats’ head start on the general election campaign. —ABC News, 15 June 2026

This year, the Panthers have a two-month head start on recovering for the coming season. —David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 15 June 2026

Seller onboarding is starting immediately, giving retailers a head start to secure visibility before the platform officially goes live for consumers in the fourth quarter of 2026. —Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 11 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1859, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for head start

• apart
• depart
• flowchart
• forepart
• impart
• pushcart
• rampart
• redstart
• restart
• subpart
• sweetheart
• upstart

Kids Definition

head start

noun

1

: an advantage given to a contestant at the beginning of a race

a five-minute head start

2

: a favorable or promising beginning