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

took some extra classes to get a head start in college

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

Google had a huge cash advantage and a multiyear head start. —Ronan Farrow, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026

Get a head start on heading off mosquitoes. —Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026

Siri should have given Apple a head start. —Mackenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 4 Apr. 2026

Taking care of these repairs during cooler months gives you a head start before wasps become active in warmer weather. —Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1859, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for head start

• apart
• depart
• flowchart
• forepart
• impart
• pushcart
• rampart
• redstart
• restart
• subpart
• sweetheart
• upstart

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