false start

noun

: a premature start (as of a race or football play)

: an unsuccessful attempt to begin something (such as a career)

Examples of false start in a Sentence

If someone makes a false start, the race is immediately stopped and the runners have to start again. After several false starts, the researchers were finally able to identify the virus causing the epidemic.

Recent Examples on the Web Nabers, for example, had a bad drop in his first practice on Wednesday and a false start penalty on Thursday. —

Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 26 July 2024 His first play of the 11-on-11 period drew a false start flag on tackle Josh Jones. —

Taylor Lyons, Baltimore Sun, 24 July 2024 But after three carries by running back Elijah Dotson, the drive was derailed by a false start on offensive tackle Foster Sarell, forcing the Chargers to settle for a 37-yard field goal. —

Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2024 Their focus is palpable, because immortality is at stake — and also because if one of them makes a false start, the judge will flog him with a willow switch. —

Philip Montgomery, New York Times, 25 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for false start

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