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

Best Halloween Decor Get a head start on Halloween shopping by snapping up these indoor and outdoor decorations starting at $8. —Isabel Garcia, Peoplemag, 18 Aug. 2024

The Babbel deal is a great way to get a head start on a new travel or job opportunity, or a way to kick start the new school year. —Tim Chan, Variety, 6 Aug. 2024

Cozy season is right around the corner, and Amazon shoppers are getting a head start on home refreshes for the new season by snapping up fall decor. —Isabel Garcia, Peoplemag, 18 Aug. 2024

Walczak deduced that Fisher likely left the house shortly after the newspaper was mistakenly delivered and only had a few hours of a head start rather than the 10-plus hour lead police had estimated. —Perry Vandell, The Arizona Republic, 17 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1859, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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