false start

Fetched 2026-10-26 (cache).

Synonyms: false-start, false heart, false starts

Antonyms: false-start, false heart, false starts

Related words from Datamuse; suggestions, not definitions.

Noun

1. {{lb|en|sports}} The act of an athlete starting a race before being signaled to do so.
2. {{lb|en|American football}} The act of an offensive player moving across the [[line of scrimmage]] prior to the snap.
3. An attempt at something that does not work, requiring one to start over.

Source: Wiktionary · CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wiktionary dump) · cached copy, not a rewrite.