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.
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 The horses will break from posts 1 through 18 in the 20-stall starting gate. Beth Harris, ajc, 6 May 2023 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

Dictionary Entries Near starting gate

Cite this Entry

“Starting gate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/starting%20gate. Accessed 4 Dec. 2024.

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