jump the gun

phrase

1
: to start in a race before the starting signal
2
: to act, move, or begin something before the proper time

Examples of jump the gun in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That’s probably why someone at NBC Sports jumped the gun and put three points on the board for the Chiefs on the broadcast scorebug. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 25 Oct. 2026 Europe fined them €432 million for jumping the gun, then ordered the deal unwound, and the startup was spun back out in June 2024. — Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026 Others also wonder whether SpaceX is jumping the gun, given that Starship remains an unproven vehicle compared to the Falcon 9. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 25 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1895, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of jump the gun was in 1895

Rhymes for jump the gun

See All Rhymes for jump the gun

Browse Nearby Words

jumpsuit
jump the gun
jump the light
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Jump the gun.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jump%20the%20gun. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of wraith

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All