jump the gun

Idioms  

1. Start doing something too soon, act too hastily. For example, The local weather bureau jumped the gun on predicting a storm; it didn't happen for another two days. This expression alludes to starting a race before the starter's gun has gone off, and supplants the earlier beat the pistol, which dates from about 1900. [Mid-1900s]

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Example Sentences

These decisions may well stand on their own, and lower courts have no license to jump the gun and declare them “implicitly overruled.”

From Slate • Apr. 23, 2026

"We do not want to jump the gun on an announcement but I think it is quite likely that it will be a significant investment in our relationship with India," he told reporters.

From BBC • Jun. 21, 2023

“People will sort of jump the gun and see that we’ve turned on the map even before we’ve officially announced it,” said Elizabeth Reina-Longoria, the communications director at Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

From New York Times • Mar. 20, 2023

“When you jump the gun with no evidence, it makes it worse. … We don’t know what caused this shooting.”

From Washington Post • Aug. 25, 2022

Best not to throw wild guesses at Thomas right now, lest he decide to jump the gun and send troops after me.

From "Legend" by Marie Lu