jump-start

American  

[juhmp-stahrt] / ˈdʒʌmpˌstɑrt /

noun

1. Automotive. Also the starting of an internal-combustion engine that has a discharged or weak battery by means of booster cables.

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verb (used with object)

1. to give a jump-start to.

   to jump-start an engine.

2. to enliven or revive.

   to jump-start a sluggish economy.

jump-start British  

verb

1. to start the engine of (a car) by connecting it to another engine with jump leads or (of a car) to start in this way

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noun

1. the act of starting a car in this way

Etymology

Origin of jump-start

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

In an effort to jump-start his muse last March, he took a trip to California's Joshua Tree National Park.

From BBC • Apr. 25, 2026

In April, Lane approved the changes to the claim process and, in the same hearing, approved requests from Purdue, with the support of victims’ attorneys, to hire Gentle and jump-start his review of claims.

From Salon • Apr. 24, 2026

Other times, they can stir controversy and, on rare occasions, even jump-start careers.

From Slate • Apr. 3, 2026

The NBA draft—like its counterparts in the NFL and MLB—is designed to help the weakest teams, by sending the top amateurs their way to jump-start a rebuild.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026

All of those doctors and nurses were charging down the hall to try and jump-start a child’s heart.

From "Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie" by Jordan Sonnenblick