head start

noun

1
: an advantage granted or achieved at the beginning of a race, a chase, or a competition
a 10-minute head start
2
: a favorable or promising beginning

Examples of head start in a Sentence

They gave me a five-minute head start. She took some extra classes to get a head start in her career. His natural athletic talent gave him a head start on his peers.
Recent Examples on the Web Want to get a head start on planning your dream vacation for 2025? Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 1 Mar. 2024 Talking with your friends about possible job openings elsewhere could give you a head start. ADD TO YOUR SKILL SET Gaining new skills and adding certifications or courses to your resume can be a good way to move up in your current job. Adriana Morga, Quartz, 16 Feb. 2024 But the Nuggets were missing starters Jamal Murray and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, both cautionary holdouts to get a head start on a week without games. Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 15 Feb. 2024 Apple is expected to put more AI into its next generation of iPhones in September, but now Samsung has a head start toward gaining the upper hand in making the technology more ubiquitous, Forrester Research analyst Thomas Husson said. Michael Liedtke, Fortune, 18 Jan. 2024 This new legislation can give children a head start saving for retirement with unused 529 funds. Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Jan. 2024 Do: Get a head start on writing something difficult, dull or unfamiliar Don’t: Use any of this verbatim Example: My colleague Will Oremus asked Copilot to design a first practice for a youth soccer team. Shira Ovide, Washington Post, 13 Feb. 2024 Battery-electric vehicles have had a big head start and will always be more efficient because of the losses involved in hydrogen production. Robin Warner, Ars Technica, 25 Jan. 2024 Why not get a head start and have some for your appetizer, too? Anna Luisa Rodriguez, Washington Post, 28 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'head start.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1859, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of head start was in 1859

Dictionary Entries Near head start

Cite this Entry

“Head start.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/head%20start. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

head start

noun
1
: an advantage given to a contestant at the beginning of a race
a five-minute head start
2
: a favorable or promising beginning

More from Merriam-Webster on head start

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