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.
Seattle got a head start on the trade deadline by acquiring first baseman Josh Naylor from the Arizona Diamondbacks last week. Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 July 2025 Summertime is an excellent opportunity to get a head start on a few home improvement projects, but not every job benefits from the heat and humidity of the season. Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 July 2025 That is, unless these bodies got a head start by skipping the stellar life and birth stage of this process. Robert Lea, Space.com, 16 July 2025 While no two crises are alike, customizable frameworks for press releases, social media posts, internal updates and stakeholder memos give teams a valuable head start. Nicole Tidei, Forbes.com, 17 July 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 4 Aug. 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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