head start

or headstart

noun

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.

head start

noun

1. an initial advantage in a competitive situation

Word History and Origins

Origin of head start¹

First recorded in 1885–90

Word History and Origins

Origin of head start¹

originally referring to a horse's having its head in front of others at the start of a race

Idioms and Phrases

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.

Example Sentences

Netflix, with a 13-year head start, had 193 million subscribers worldwide.

From Fortune

In 2007, President Bush signed a law that required all Head Start grantees to be evaluated using an evidence-based system.

From The Daily Beast

“People worrying about picking up Head Start bills will be picking up bills for prison and a lot of other things,” he says.

From The Daily Beast

He expects more cutbacks to Head Start when budget sequestration kicks in again in 2015.

From The Daily Beast

Desperate to get a head-start on the season, stores have been pushing Black Friday sales into Thanksgiving Day.

From The Daily Beast

“They (NRA) had a hundred-year head start, so this is going to take a bit of time,” says Kelly.

From The Daily Beast

With the corner of his eye Aldo had seen Mrs. Van Osten's small head start up like a disturbed snake at the end of the table.

From Project Gutenberg

With Martha to guide him through the night and the witch-girl's power disabled, they'd get a day's head start.

From Project Gutenberg

If we get a good head-start, they don't have anything based here that'll catch up with it.

From Project Gutenberg

In a few minutes the train came whistling around the bend at full speed, trying for a head start up the hill.

From Project Gutenberg

Around and around they would whirl in a spiral nebula, till one got a head start on a race for home and mother.

From Project Gutenberg