Definition of 'false start'

Word Frequency

false start

Word forms: plural false starts

1. countable noun

A false start is an attempt to start something, such as a speech, project, or plan, which fails because you were not properly prepared or ready to begin.

Any economic reform, he said, faced false starts and mistakes.

2. countable noun

If there is a false start at the beginning of a race, one of the competitors moves before the person who starts the race has given the signal.

Image of 'false start'

Word Frequency

false start in British

noun

1. sport

an illegal start to a race, caused by a competitor beginning to move before the prescribed signal

any premature attempt to begin an activity

verb false-start

3. (intransitive)

to make a false start

Trends of 'false start'

Used Rarely. false start is in the lower 50% of commonly used words in the Collins dictionary

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Translations for 'false start'

British English: false start NOUN

A false start is an attempt to start something, which fails because you were not properly prepared or ready to begin.

Any economic reform, he said, faced false starts and mistakes.

American English: false start
Brazilian Portuguese: falso começo
Chinese: 失败的开端
European Spanish: salida en falso
French: faux départ
German: Fehlstart
Italian: falsa partenza
Japanese: 出だしの失敗
Korean: 잘못된 시작
European Portuguese: falso começo
Spanish: salida en falso

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Nearby words of 'false start'

Source

Definition of false start from the Collins English Dictionary

Parts of speech

Sentences are made up of words. A sentence can be made up of any number of words. He left us. The man in the corner lowered his newspaper. Whenever I see Tammy I worry about how I look. Until to...