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.
The Browns permitted Vrabel to leave with one game left in the regular season, giving him a head start on interviews with teams that already have job openings: The Jets, Saints and Bears, with others soon to come when the regular season ends. Dianna Russini, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2025 Many of them even took him on in races from the blocks, with Phelps often giving the Ravens players a significant head start before diving in. Sophie Kaufman, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025 Some desperate prospective tenants have even been driven to burglarizing the offices of the New Jersey printer of The Village Voice in order to get a day’s head start on that weekly’s apartment listings. Nicholas Pileggi, Curbed, 15 Aug. 2025 Despite the injuries and uncertainty surrounding the availability of some key players, the Chargers have put their head start on the rest of the NFL to good use. Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 10 Aug. 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 29 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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