head start

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.

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

After Paris sold a record 12 million tickets for the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics, the group organizing the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles is getting a head start on ticket sales.

From Los Angeles Times

That gives doctors and patients a head start in either preventing or delaying progression of the disease with medical intervention or lifestyle changes, Chui said.

From Los Angeles Times

Some analysts argue they are also not as sophisticated as the American ones, which have a technological head start going back to the the Cold War.

From BBC

"The wheels in my head start turning... Doesn't that mean that my version also has copyright protection?"

From BBC

Jill said the change was "amazing" and would give families "a head start".

From BBC