starting gate
Americannoun
noun
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a movable barrier so placed on the starting line of a racecourse that the raising of it releases all the contestants simultaneously
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the US name for starting stalls
Etymology
Origin of starting gate
First recorded in 1895–1900
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.
Of the 95 horses who have run in the Kentucky Derby in the past five years, only 13 entered the starting gate for the Preakness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026
It’s way too early to think Potente will turn out like that, but he did earn 50 Kentucky Derby points, all but guaranteeing himself a spot in the starting gate at Churchill Downs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 7, 2026
"When I think back on my crash, I didn't stand in the starting gate unaware of the potential consequences. I knew what I was doing. I chose to take a risk," she added.
From BBC ● Feb. 17, 2026
Vonn crashed just 13 seconds after leaving the starting gate, losing control and falling hard on the course.
From Salon ● Feb. 8, 2026
When the starter shouted, “Row!” both boats bolted off the line like nervous racehorses held too long in the starting gate.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
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.
