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

See Examples For:

head start

With Antonelli hamstrung by his grid drop this weekend, Ferrari have a head start on their rival.

From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026

He spent time in Southern California over the offseason to get a head start on overhauling his swing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026

One slightly stranger favorite is ground beef mixed with minced mushrooms and a little mushroom gravy powder, which can become an excellent head start on stew, meatballs, meatloaf or cottage pie.

From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026

"OpenAI should not be permitted to use Apple's secrets to gain an unjust head start in its hardware ambitions," the iPhone-maker says.

From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026

Our archaeologist might have considered the possible advantages of a head start.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond