a slow start

idiom

: lack of success at first
Despite a slow start at the box office, the movie's popularity has increased steadily.
The team got off to a slow start this season but is playing well now.

Examples of a slow start in a Sentence

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Harrell’s improvement After a slow start against the Mountaineers in the Duke’s Mayo Classic, tossing an interception and completing just 54% of his passes, Harrell showed slight improvements against the Tar Heels’ defense. Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 7 Sep. 2025 None of that seemed like a guarantee when the 2018 second-round pick got off to a slow start with Nix last year, but over the course of the season, their connection continually strengthened. Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 5 Sep. 2025 Kwan remains with the Cleveland Guardians and the Dodgers’ fallback acquisition, Alex Call, was 6 for 11 during the Colorado series after a slow start. Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 23 Aug. 2025 Aiyuk had a slow start to the campaign before tearing his ACL in Week 7. Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for a slow start

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Cite this Entry

“A slow start.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20slow%20start. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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