false start
noun
1
: a premature start (as of a race or football play)
2
: an unsuccessful attempt to begin something (such as a career)
Examples of false start in a Sentence
If someone makes a false start, the race is immediately stopped and the runners have to start again.
After several false starts, the researchers were finally able to identify the virus causing the epidemic.
Recent Examples on the Web
But the big date was a false start.
—
Noelle Phillips,
Denver Post,
18 June 2026
Soccer's false start To be fair, Americans had tried to like soccer.
—
Terry Baddoo,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
Pérez had a wheel outside his grid box at the restart, his second false start of the race after lining up in the wrong spot at the original race start.
—
ABC News,
7 June 2026
After a false start in the 2022 World Cup — Canada lost all three of their games — this feels like Canada’s true arrival on the international stage to an expectant national audience.
—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for false start
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noelle Phillips,
Denver Post,
18 June 2026
Soccer's false start To be fair, Americans had tried to like soccer.
—
Terry Baddoo,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
Pérez had a wheel outside his grid box at the restart, his second false start of the race after lining up in the wrong spot at the original race start.
—
ABC News,
7 June 2026
After a false start in the 2022 World Cup — Canada lost all three of their games — this feels like Canada’s true arrival on the international stage to an expectant national audience.
—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for false start
Cite this Entry
“False start.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/false%20start. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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