springboard

American  

[spring-bawrd, -bohrd] / ˈsprɪŋˌbɔrd, -ˌboʊrd /

noun

1. a flexible board, projecting over water, from which divers leap or spring.

2. a flexible board used as a takeoff in vaulting, tumbling, etc., to increase the height of leaps.

3. something that supplies the impetus or conditions for a beginning, change, or progress; a point of departure.

   a lecture to serve as a springboard for a series of seminars.

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verb (used with or without object)

1. to impel or launch on or as if on a springboard.

springboard British  

/ ˈsprɪŋˌbɔːd /

noun

1. a flexible board, usually projecting low over the water, used for diving

2. a similar board used for gaining height or momentum in gymnastics

3. a board inserted into the trunk of a tree at some height above the ground on which a lumberjack stands to chop down the tree

4. anything that serves as a point of departure or initiation

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Etymology

Origin of springboard

First recorded in 1865–70; spring + board

Example Sentences

The company behind the robot, Yunji, is a mainland Chinese tech business that is aiming to use Hong Kong as a springboard for successful overseas expansion.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

He hit headlines in the 1990 games after striking and cutting his head on the springboard while competing.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

That comment could be the springboard for “Gainsborough: The Fashion of Portraiture,” at the Frick Collection.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026

It first broke beneath the 200 day in late January, a level that had acted as a powerful springboard last April, marking a notable shift in character.

From Barron's • Feb. 24, 2026

So together, Reader and Vincent used HeLa cells as the springboard to launch the first industrial-scale, for-profit cell distribution center.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot