a slow start

idiom

: lack of success at first

Despite a slow start at the box office, the movie's popularity has increased steadily.

The team got off to a slow start this season but is playing well now.

Examples of a slow start in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Sharks also had a strong second period but were hurt by a slow start. —Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2025

The game had shades of the team’s loss in the Mountain West Tournament championship game to Colorado State, when a slow start led to a 25-9 hole and eventual loss that cost the Broncos a fourth straight NCAA Tournament bid. —Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 1 Apr. 2025

And a slow start would pile even more pressure on the players and Levy. —Robert Kidd, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025

After a slow start, Coppell took control, moving on to capture a strong 4-1 victory and advance to the regional finals on Friday, March 28 at Dragon Stadium. —Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Mar. 2025

Rhymes for a slow start

• counterpart
• apart
• depart
• flowchart
• forepart
• impart
• pushcart
• rampart
• redstart
• restart
• subpart
• sweetheart