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

In some states, early voting also allows election officials to get a head start on processing or counting votes, to help distribute the workload of vote tallying over several days. —Rebecca Picciotto, CNBC, 29 Oct. 2024

Harris has had little time to work her way back after Trump’s 32-day head start. —Ross O'Keefe, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 18 Oct. 2024

Companies who get a head start on these requirements will benefit most in the long term. —Elizabeth Pigg, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024

Get a head start on your winter clothes shopping while everything's on sale. —Liz Doupnik, Travel + Leisure, 9 Oct. 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