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
Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 14 Apr. 2025
Like Loveland, Grant played under Harbaugh in Ann Arbor and could immediately step in as a starter in Los Angeles.
—David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Apr. 2025
Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
The best LinkedIn comments turn into starter posts with your audience.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for starter
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
With Nurkic scheduled to pocket $19.3 million in the last season of a four-year, $70 million contract inked while with Portland in 2022, that’s a hefty salary for someone who’s not a starter.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 14 Apr. 2025
Like Loveland, Grant played under Harbaugh in Ann Arbor and could immediately step in as a starter in Los Angeles.
—David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Apr. 2025
Adjective
If the Bills can find an encouraging developmental offensive lineman with starter traits to stash on the inactive list all year, that’s an intriguing proposition.
—Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
The best LinkedIn comments turn into starter posts with your audience.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for starter
Cite this Entry
“Starter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/starter. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
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