Synonyms

head start

American

Or headstart

noun

an advantage given or acquired in any competition, endeavor, etc., as allowing one or more competitors in a race to start before the others.

head start British

noun

an initial advantage in a competitive situation

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

head start Idioms

An early start that confers an advantage, as in This year we'll get a head start on the competition by running more ads. The expression comes from racing, where it was used for a horse being given an advantage of several lengths over the others. Its extension to other areas dates from the early 1900s.

Etymology

Origin of head start

First recorded in 1885–90

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.

By the time the big monkey had reached the last limb on the sycamore tree, I had a pretty good head start on him.

From Literature

“P&G’s competitive advantages in market research, R&D, and media certainly provide them with a head start,” wrote TD Cowen analysts in a recent note to clients.

From MarketWatch

Maybe I’m imagining it, but my head starts to ache, probably from the wireless signals.

From Literature

We were amazed at how wonderfully that program helped our kids get a head start at school.

From The Wall Street Journal

The latter, however, has made its money much faster, racking up that sum since 2005 while the others had a head starts ranging from 29 years to 14 years.

From MarketWatch

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023