running start
Americannoun
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Sports. a start, as in the hop, step, and jump or the running broad jump, in which a contestant begins moving before reaching the starting or take-off point.
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an initial advantage in undertaking something; a head start.
His background gave him a running start in business.
Etymology
Origin of running start
First recorded in 1925–30
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.
One caveat to that time is that Kerr did have a running start.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
If he can deliver successful AI products before he departs, Cook can secure his legacy as one of the great tech executives, while giving his successor a running start.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 5, 2025
If you're ready to try interval running, start small.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 20, 2025
Curling around in the backcourt, Edney got a running start as he took the inbounds pass from Cameron Dollar.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 14, 2023
Concerned now, I take a running start, jump, grab the first limb of the spruce, and find myself kicking wildly to fend off- the female goshawk.
From "On the Far Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George
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.
