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false start
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noun
Sports. a premature start by one or more of the contestants, as in a swimming or track event, necessitating calling the field back to start again.
a failure to begin an undertaking successfully.
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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Origin of false start
First recorded in 1805–15
Words nearby false start
false relation, false rib, false ribs, false scorpion, false Solomon's-seal, false start, false step, false teeth, false topaz, falsetto, false vampire
Other definitions for false start (2 of 2)
false-start
[ fawls-stahrt ]
/ ˈfɔlsˈstɑrt /
verb (used without object) Sports.
to leave the starting line or position too early and thereby necessitate repeating the signal to begin a race.
Origin of false-start
First recorded in 1805–15
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use false start in a sentence
Other Idioms and Phrases with false start
false start
A wrong beginning, as in After several false starts she finally managed to write the first chapter. The term originated in racing, where it refers to beginning a race before the starting signal has been given. The expression was soon transferred to other kinds of failed beginning. [Early 1800s]
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.