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

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
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.
As Deadline reported last week, Hopkins had a head start and began meeting with executives over the past couple of months. Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 22 Sep. 2025 Two formidable artists, trumpeter Keyon Harrold and drummer Nate Smith, are getting a head start by kicking off their Coltrane tribute tour this fall. George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Sep. 2025 Withers had something of a head start in playing a quarterback onscreen. Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 21 Sep. 2025 The manhunt has been especially difficult because Decker is an Army veteran skilled in wilderness survival and had a three-day head start. Holly Yan, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for head start

Word History

First Known Use

1859, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of head start was in 1859

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Head start.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/head%20start. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on head start

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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