# [countable, usually singular] the point at which something begins.

• If we don't hurry, we'll miss the start.

• They haven't won since the start of the season.

• at the start (of something): Things didn't look too hopeful at the start of the year.

• from the start: We've had problems right from the start.

• We've had problems from the very start.

• The trip was a disaster from start to finish.

• a… start to something: a perfect start to the day

• After a slow start to his career, things improved.

• The campaign is off to a promising start.

• a shaky/rocky start

• (informal) This could be the start of something big.

# [countable, usually singular] the act or process of beginning something.

• We need to get an early start in the morning.

• start on something: I'll paint the ceiling if you make a start on the walls.

• She's moving abroad to make a fresh start (= to begin a new life).

• I think it's time we made a start.

• It's not much, but it's a start (= something useful has been done, although there is a lot more still to do).

• SEE ALSO false start, kick-start, push-start, running start;

# [countable, usually singular] the opportunity that you are given to begin something in a successful way.

• Many critics got their start writing for this magazine.

• Moving to a different school gave Sally a fresh start.

• start in something: They worked hard to give their children a good start in life.

• The job gave him his start in journalism.

# the start [singular] the place where a race begins.

• The runners lined up at the start.

• The runners walked up to the start line.

# [countable, usually singular] an amount of time or distance that somebody has as an advantage over other people at the beginning of a race.

• I gave the younger children a start.

• start on somebody: She went into the second round with a five-minute start on the rest of the cyclists.

# [countable, usually singular] an act of moving your body quickly and suddenly because you are surprised, afraid, etc.

• You gave me quite a start!

• with a start: She woke from the dream with a start.

>>> by/in fits and starts | in stops and starts (idiom): ​frequently starting and stopping again; not continuously.

• Because of other commitments I can only write my book in fits and starts.

>>> for a start (idiom): ​(informal) used to emphasize the first of a list of reasons, opinions, etc.

• I'm not working there - for a start, it's too far to travel.

>>> from a standing start (idiom): ​(used about beginning a project or task) from an initial position in which none of the necessary elements are in place.

• The space project went from a standing start to the moon in ten years.

>>> get off to a flying start | get off to a flyer (idiom): ​to make a very good start; to begin something well.

• She’s got off to a flying start in her new career.

# to begin to return somewhere.

• Isn’t it time we started back?

# (especially North American English) to begin again.

• She wasn't happy with our work and made us start over.

# to begin to do something, especially in business or work.

• to start out in business

• She started out on her legal career in 2001.

• When the band started out, they couldn't afford much equipment.

# to have a particular intention when you begin something.

• start out to do something: I started out to write a short story, but it soon developed into a novel.

# without any previous preparation or knowledge.

• I learned German from scratch in six months.

• He built the orchestra up from scratch.

# ​from the very beginning, not using any of the work done earlier.

• They decided to dismantle the machine and start again from scratch.

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