jump-start
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
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to give a jump-start to.
to jump-start an engine.
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to enliven or revive.
to jump-start a sluggish economy.
verb
noun
Etymology
Origin of jump-start
First recorded in 1975–80
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Other times, they can stir controversy and, on rare occasions, even jump-start careers.
From Slate • Apr. 3, 2026
The brand was introduced as part of a wider push to jump-start the company’s lagging soda sales, focusing its marketing efforts on acquiring Gen Z consumers.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026
The 56-year-old nonprofit executive plans to tap his personal wealth to jump-start his campaign.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 7, 2026
Trump has taken other measures to try to jump-start the manufacturing sector.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026
“Your colors will return, Mia. I promise. And you’ll feel three-dimensional again. Try doing something creative to jump-start your brain a little. You told me you like to paint; why don’t you try that?”
From "A Mango-Shaped Space" by Wendy Mass
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.