false startnoun [ C usually singular ]
uk/ˌfɒls ˈstɑːt/us/ˌfɑːls ˈstɑːrt/false start noun [ C usually singular ] (RACE)
the start of a race in which one competitor starts too early, before the official signal to begin:
If an athlete makes a false start, the race must be restarted.
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Athletics
- athlete
- athleticism
- athletics
- caber
- finish line
- finishing line 1
- finishing line
- follow through
- hammer throwing
- marathon
- relay
- running
- sack race
- shot
- sprint
- stagger
- steeplechase
- track
- track meet
- water jump
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Competing in sport
false start noun [ C usually singular ] (PROBLEM)
an attempt to do something that fails because you are not ready or not able to do it:
We had a couple of false starts because of computer problems, but now the project has really begun.
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Failures
- a dog's breakfast idiom
- another/the final nail in the coffin idiom
- breakdown
- car crash
- cock-up
- dead duck
- foul-up
- free fall
- hash
- lemon
- lost cause
- lulu
- mess
- mess-up
- parody
- slim pickings
- slush pile
- track record
- train wreck
- turkey
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