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.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web After a slow start, Torkelson is now seeing the ball well and making consistent contact. —

Andrew Birkle, Detroit Free Press, 12 May 2023 After the Reds got off to a slow start this season because of inconsistency in the bullpen ahead of closer Alexis Díaz, that unit has become one of the most consistent pieces on the Reds’ roster. —

Charlie Goldsmith, The Enquirer, 27 Apr. 2023 Alabama and Miller got off to a slow start, but the All-America freshman and top NBA prospect wound up with a more typical performance after going scoreless in the first-round game. —

Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, 19 Mar. 2023 Williams still had a slow start to his rookie season, both from a performance standpoint and earning time on the floor. —

Nick Crain, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2023 The season got off to a slow start, 5-4 against Div. —

San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Mar. 2023 On the girls side, host West recovered from a slow start in the semifinal and pulled away from South. —

Josh Reed, Anchorage Daily News, 14 Mar. 2023 Google-parent Alphabet is off to a slow start in its growing artificial intelligence rivalry with Microsoft, posting its largest two-day loss in market cap on record and dragging the sector down with it. —

Eric Wallerstein, WSJ, 9 Feb. 2023 After a slow start, ridership along the Silver Line’s five new stations climbed steadily, peaking in 2019. —

Lori Aratani, Washington Post, 13 Nov. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'a slow start.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.