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
What started as a five-horse race became four when Concrete Glory was slow to get going out of the No. 5 starting gate and didn’t finish.
—
Taylor Lyons, Baltimore Sun, 17 May 2025
Horses line up at a 65-foot starting gate that stretches across the track.
—Javier Zarracina, USA Today, 3 May 2025
Horses aren’t unaccustomed to starting gates, but Derby horses are only 3 years old; many have only raced a handful of times.
—Dana O'Neil, New York Times, 3 May 2025
The 20 horses with the most points get a starting gate post.
—Javier Zarracina, USA Today, 3 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for starting gate
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Taylor Lyons, Baltimore Sun, 17 May 2025
Horses line up at a 65-foot starting gate that stretches across the track.
—Javier Zarracina, USA Today, 3 May 2025
Horses aren’t unaccustomed to starting gates, but Derby horses are only 3 years old; many have only raced a handful of times.
—Dana O'Neil, New York Times, 3 May 2025
The 20 horses with the most points get a starting gate post.
—Javier Zarracina, USA Today, 3 May 2025
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 29 May. 2025.
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