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

As a Bloomberg report points out, this affords them a head start in a market Morgan Stanley estimates will be worth $5 trillion by 2050. —Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 2 Mar. 2026

This head start continues to reduce the cost of college for families, and prepares students for the workforce with valuable qualifications needed to obtain high-paying careers. —Dallas Morning News, 1 Mar. 2026

At the first sign of spring, you might be tempted to turn your sprinkler system on so that your plants and lawn can get a head start. —Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 27 Feb. 2026

Foundation leaders say the long-term goal is not just to provide money, but to teach financial literacy and create pathways to economic mobility — giving Atlanta's youngest learners a head start on building wealth. —Leondra Head, CBS News, 27 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