starting gate
noun
1
: a mechanically operated barrier used as a starting device for a race
2
: a barrier that when knocked aside by a competitor (such as a skier) starts an electronic timing device
Examples of starting gate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Shiffrin jumped out of the gate and deftly cut through the increasingly slushy course at the Sun Valley Resort, where the adoring crowd could be seen and heard up at the slalom starting gate.
—
Zack Pierce, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
The 20 horses with the most points get a starting gate post.
—Javier Zarracina, USA TODAY, 3 May 2024
On Saturday at Pimlico Race Course, eight horses will be ushered expertly into their starting gate stalls.
—Abigail Gruskin, Baltimore Sun, 16 May 2024
Horses line up at a 65-foot starting gate that stretches across the track.
—Javier Zarracina, USA TODAY, 3 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for starting gate
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Zack Pierce, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
The 20 horses with the most points get a starting gate post.
—Javier Zarracina, USA TODAY, 3 May 2024
On Saturday at Pimlico Race Course, eight horses will be ushered expertly into their starting gate stalls.
—Abigail Gruskin, Baltimore Sun, 16 May 2024
Horses line up at a 65-foot starting gate that stretches across the track.
—Javier Zarracina, USA TODAY, 3 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for starting gate
Cite this Entry
“Starting gate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/starting%20gate. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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