1
: a person who initiates or sets going: such as
a
: an official who gives the signal to begin a race
b
: one who dispatches vehicles
2
a
: one that engages in a competition
especially
: a member of a starting lineup
b
: one that begins to engage in an activity or process
3
: one that causes something to begin operating: such as
a
: a device for starting an engine
especially
: an electric motor used to start an internal combustion engine
b
: material containing microorganisms (such as yeast) used to induce a desired fermentation
4
: something that is the beginning of a process, activity, or series
especially
: appetizer
: of, relating to, or being an item acquired with the expectation that a more elaborate or sophisticated model will be acquired in the future
a starter home
Examples of starter in a Sentence
Noun
The team is playing only five regular starters.
The car's starter needs to be replaced.
Recent Examples on the Web
Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2025
But the Badgers, who lost all four scholarship quarterbacks from last season to the transfer portal, were in desperate need of a veteran starter capable of elevating the offense under first-year coordinator Jeff Grimes.
—Jesse Temple, The Athletic, 20 Jan. 2025
Sahadev Sharma, The Athletic, 17 Jan. 2025
Harley Quinn showrunners pick the best starter episodes for new viewers
The Metropolis move means lots of changes in the show's superhero terrain.
—Christian Holub, EW.com, 16 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for starter 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
For starters, Johnson is not averse to prioritizing the run game.
—Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2025
But the Badgers, who lost all four scholarship quarterbacks from last season to the transfer portal, were in desperate need of a veteran starter capable of elevating the offense under first-year coordinator Jeff Grimes.
—Jesse Temple, The Athletic, 20 Jan. 2025
Adjective
The additions of Matthew Boyd and Colin Rea make the rotation deeper, but adding a top-of-the-rotation arm seems like something that will happen only if the market for a starter craters.
—Sahadev Sharma, The Athletic, 17 Jan. 2025
Harley Quinn showrunners pick the best starter episodes for new viewers
The Metropolis move means lots of changes in the show's superhero terrain.
—Christian Holub, EW.com, 16 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for starter
Dictionary Entries Near starter
Cite this Entry
“Starter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/starter. Accessed 27 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share