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

Now is the time to get a head start on planning your decorations for my favorite holiday of the year, since Amazon, Walmart, and Target already have an impressive selection. —Maggie Horton, Peoplemag, 7 Sep. 2024

In the race to define how voters see the vice president, luck has given them a head start. —David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2024

Still, OpenAI gives Microsoft a big head start in AI and is forcing AWS into the unfamiliar position of trying to play catch-up. —Jordan Novet, CNBC, 2 Aug. 2024

Athletes who get a head start on acclimatization can help their bodies adapt faster and more efficiently to the heat. —Samantha Scarneo-Miller, The Conversation, 19 July 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