jumped the gun

VERB

get a head start

Synonyms

WEAK

beat someone to the punch beat the gun preempt

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

So much so that the state senator from San Francisco jumped the gun this fall, entering the race to fill the former House speaker’s seat in Congress before she announced her retirement.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 26, 2025

Law firms that jumped the gun in using AI to write legal documents have been apologizing for the predictable errors.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 29, 2025

The new boss jumped the gun somewhat by announcing his plans this week.

From BBC • Nov. 15, 2024

“The conglomerates, they definitely jumped the gun, I think, in shifting their assets away from the cable networks and left them as zombies,” says Michael Schneider, television editor at Variety.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 29, 2024

It should have worked, but for one fighter pilot who jumped the gun.

From The Good Neighbors by Pangborn, Edgar