noun

• 1An invalid start to a race, usually due to a competitor beginning before the official signal has been given.

  ‘It was not a ‘tragedy’ when he was disqualified for a false start in an Olympic trials race earlier this year, he said in mild rebuke of Prime Minister John Howard.’

  More example sentences

  • ‘Thorpe has been robbed of a chance to defend his 400m freestyle title in Athens after being disqualified for a false start.’
  • ‘After three false starts, Ferrari was in bad shape; and Schumacher's abilities were being gleefully questioned.’
  • ‘His nerves could easily have been torn to shreds following a series of false starts which led to the Greek Georgios Theodoridis being disqualified.’
  • ‘A fiasco involving the starting tape led to a false start being called but most of the field were oblivious and carried on.’

  1. 1.1An unsuccessful attempt to begin something.
     ‘she had finally found a job she liked, after various false starts’
     More example sentences

     • ‘I've had a complicated history with jazz, with many false starts, disappointing attempts to divine the pantheon and forays into stuff I absolutely hated.’
     • ‘In a way, I am glad the monsoon has finally begun after all the false starts caused by atmospheric depressions in the Arabian Sea end of May.’
     • ‘Following several false starts in attempting to bring it back, the drama will finally be premiered in a webcast on BBCi in the spring.’
     • ‘Unfortunately, the history of the region is replete with false peaces, false starts and unilateral attempts to impose a settlement.’
     • ‘After several years and many false starts, work is about to begin on the new airport.’
     • ‘Indeed, false starts and incomplete fictions proliferate, until the ‘real’ story comes to the surface, barely 30 pages before the novel's conclusion.’
     • ‘I believe in failure, false starts, lots of mistakes, and falling down.’
     • ‘After a couple of false starts, Neil and Brenda begin dating, and their relationship grows serious.’
     • ‘After a false start in his master's style he began a series of large pictures with themes drawn from French history painted in an eclectic manner.’
     • ‘The move to the Kingston Communications Stadium was always meant to herald a new era for the Tigers and after a couple of false starts that has proved to be the case.’
     • ‘There have been too many false starts, but there are promising signs.’
     • ‘Just as it was wrong-headed to write off England so soon after yet another false start in a World Cup, so it would be rash now to declare them the new favourites on the evidence of one admittedly outstanding performance.’