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

For tender rabe that melds seamlessly with pasta and sausage, start by separating the thick stems from the rest of the stalks and giving them a head start before adding the rest. — Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Magazine, 4 Nov. 2026

Saatva is currently offering $350 off orders of $1,000 or more, giving you a head start on upgrading your sleep setup. — Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 4 Nov. 2026

Indeed, such seeds emerged from these new simulations in environments of dense star clustering, which could solve this mystery by allowing those growth processes to get a head start. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 3 Nov. 2026

Lithium-ion batteries have a considerable head start in energy density, cost, and manufacturing scale. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 1 Nov. 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