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
The grade 2 Fleur De Lis goes off as race 7 and offers an automatic berth to the Breeders’ Cup Distaff starting gates on November 1.
—
Danny Brewer, Forbes.com, 22 June 2025
The three-year-old boy was rushed to the Upper River Valley Hospital in nearby Waterville, after it was confirmed that he had been struck by a starting gate as it was being towed to the venue’s grandstand by a pickup truck, CBC News and CTV News reported.
—Latoya Gayle, People.com, 20 June 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for starting gate
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.
Danny Brewer, Forbes.com, 22 June 2025
The three-year-old boy was rushed to the Upper River Valley Hospital in nearby Waterville, after it was confirmed that he had been struck by a starting gate as it was being towed to the venue’s grandstand by a pickup truck, CBC News and CTV News reported.
—Latoya Gayle, People.com, 20 June 2025
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
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 1 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share