head start

noun

Synonyms of head startnext
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
took some extra classes to get a head start in college

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
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.
Bringing that orchestration muscle to Atlas is a meaningful head start. John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026 SpaceX had a four-year head start on Amazon, launching Starlink in 2015. Annie Palmer, CNBC, 2 July 2026 This unique position gives them a massive head start over smaller competitors who must constantly slash prices to clear out unsold stock. Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 29 June 2026 From Vancouver’s perspective, Johnson and company got a head start on accumulating additional draft capital for next season and fixed a slight win out of Vancouver’s trio of sixth-round draft picks. Thomas Drance, New York Times, 28 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for head start

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Head start.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/head%20start. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

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

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