head start

American  

Or headstart

noun

head starts plural

1. an advantage given or acquired in any competition, endeavor, etc., as allowing one or more competitors in a race to start before the others.

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head start British  

noun

1. an initial advantage in a competitive situation

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head start Idioms  

1. An early start that confers an advantage, as in This year we'll get a head start on the competition by running more ads. The expression comes from racing, where it was used for a horse being given an advantage of several lengths over the others. Its extension to other areas dates from the early 1900s.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• head starts
  plural

Etymology

Origin of head start

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

He still had to go through an online application portal later, but he had a head start.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 18, 2026

All would mean that the immune system has a head start when it comes to fighting a real Ebola infection.

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026

And Delrahim’s move gave Ellison’s Paramount a head start in the regulatory approval process.

From Los Angeles Times • May 26, 2026

If what you say is true, she may have already gotten a head start on doing just that.

From MarketWatch • May 25, 2026

The cat allowed him a head start, perhaps to add interest to the chase.

From "Abel's Island" by William Steig