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.
Comcast has expressed interest in acquiring all or part of Warner, Semafor can confirm, complicating life for both David Zaslav and Paramount, which has lost its head start in the bidding. Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 21 Oct. 2025 Amazon will often give these later seasons a head start by releasing their first two or three episodes with the season premiere. Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2025 The got a head start with a $750,000 grant given to them by the Knight Foundation. Edda Leon, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2025 If history is any indication, four people, including Hennie, will have a head start at taking over the top spot. Cameron Knight, Cincinnati Enquirer, 20 Oct. 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 26 Oct. 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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