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

Horses line up at a 65-foot starting gate that stretches across the track. — Javier Zarracina, USA Today, 1 May 2026

Strategy meets destiny today as the morning-line odds are set and starting gates are assigned. — Geoff Clark Outkick, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2026

Since then, the race has become known for both its competitive intensity and diverse starting gate. — Yola Robert, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2026

All the horses except Potente likely need to finish first or second to have a chance of getting into the Kentucky Derby starting gate, though Robusta, the San Felipe runner-up, would have an outside chance by finishing third. — Jay Posner, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1893, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for starting gate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate
• angulate