springboard

American  

[spring-bawrd, -bohrd] / ˈsprɪŋˌbɔrd, -ˌboʊrd /

noun

1. a flexible board, projecting over water, from which divers leap or spring.

2. a flexible board used as a takeoff in vaulting, tumbling, etc., to increase the height of leaps.

3. something that supplies the impetus or conditions for a beginning, change, or progress; a point of departure.

   a lecture to serve as a springboard for a series of seminars.

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verb (used with or without object)

1. to impel or launch on or as if on a springboard.

springboard British  

/ ˈsprɪŋˌbɔːd /

noun

1. a flexible board, usually projecting low over the water, used for diving

2. a similar board used for gaining height or momentum in gymnastics

3. a board inserted into the trunk of a tree at some height above the ground on which a lumberjack stands to chop down the tree

4. anything that serves as a point of departure or initiation

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Etymology

Origin of springboard

First recorded in 1865–70; spring + board

Example Sentences

Rather than those games against Manchester City and Arsenal being an awful start, they proved to be a springboard.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

The company behind the robot, Yunji, is a mainland Chinese tech business that is aiming to use Hong Kong as a springboard for successful overseas expansion.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

That then served as a springboard for an international career.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 18, 2026

If the level holds, it could act as a springboard to further gains.

From Barron's • Feb. 9, 2026

The Passacaglia structure involves a short sequence of four or eight chords repeated many times, which act as the springboard for a series of unfolding melodic explorations or improvisations.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall