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

After giving the calf an allotted head start, a competitor rides to the calf, ropes it and dismounts, lays the calf down and ties three legs together. —Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 4 Nov. 2025

Gabbriette got a head start on Día de Muertos, or Day of the Dead, festivities, cohosting a party with Don Julio Tequila on Thursday night to honor the holiday, which kicks off Saturday and ends on Sunday. —Kelsey Stewart, Footwear News, 31 Oct. 2025

Early access starts Monday, October 27, 2025, which gives you a whole month’s head start. —Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 27 Oct. 2025

These promos can be a head start for players on BetMGM Sportsbook. —Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025

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