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

While sowing seeds in winter is a smart way to get a head start on gardening season, doing so too early can stress your seedlings, rendering your efforts useless. —Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 22 Feb. 2026

Both nations got a head start on Norway in terms of infrastructure and cultural relevance. —Peter Baugh, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026

Before the rest of the state heads to the ballot box for midterm primaries in Georgia, some voters are getting a head start on what is going to be a busy election year. —Irene Wright, USA Today, 19 Feb. 2026

Japan’s Ryota Yamamoto got an eight-second head start over Lamparter after the ski jump and Norway’s Andreas Skoglund started 16 seconds back. —ABC News, 17 Feb. 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