false start

noun

1
: a premature start (as of a race or football play)
2
: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Officials made no signal because of the false start penalty. Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Oct. 2025 Tripping and false start calls stacked up, and the biggest was Zollers’ intentional grounding that included a 10-second runoff. Maddie Hartley, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2025 Meanwhile, Russia is being hit with economic penalties from the United States following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s latest false start in peace talks. Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 24 Oct. 2025 Ironically, the tush push attempt in today’s Vikings-Eagles game was voided due to a false start, although that was from Brown in the backfield. Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for false start

Word History

First Known Use

1815, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of false start was in 1815

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“False start.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/false%20start. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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