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

That shift has fueled a wave of wellness trends promising a head start on aging well. — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 29 Sep. 2026

During the downtime the past two years, Slavens, who is in his 24th season with the Chiefs and his sixth as vice president of Arrowhead Events, remained in contact with sources to help get a head start on 2027. — Dan Kelly, Kansas City Star, 25 Sep. 2026

Moreover, winter cold will damage the foliage, so get a head start on your spring garden clean-up by cutting back the plant in the fall. — Marie Iannotti, The Spruce, 22 Sep. 2026

So let’s grant the tortoise a head start, Zeno declared—say, a hundred yards. — Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 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