head start

American  

Or headstart

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.

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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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Etymology

Origin of head start

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

Anthropic restricted the release of Mythos to select major tech firms to give them a head start in fixing cybersecurity vulnerabilities and is looking into reports of unauthorized use of the model.

From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026

Wet earth, plenty of sunshine and a lack of frosts have combined to give some plants a noticeable head start.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

And how much does a parent give a child so they can have a head start in life, but just enough for them to go out and seek their fortune independently?

From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026

While Fiddelke only officially became CEO Feb. 1, his prior role as chief operating officer gave him a head start on the turnaround plan.

From Barron's • Mar. 2, 2026

The fire had a head start, and flames shot up from the back of the boys’ privy.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck