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
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.
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

Word History

First Known Use

1893, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of starting gate was in 1893

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Cite this Entry

“Starting gate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/starting%20gate. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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