Sounds like a worn starter solenoid to me. Contacts are dead slash dying. Could be many things.Can do this several times and just may start. Why so many attempts to start.
Assuming you have a ride on mower
assuming what you mean is that the starter cranks the engine for 1/4 a turn
Then it would be a bad safety switch or the wiring between them
Assuming that the engine cranks 1 & 1/2 revolutions then stops or even bounces back a little
Then the decompressor is not working
Assuming the decompressor is not working then either it is broken or the valve lash is so big it defeats the decompressor
Lots of assumptions because we have no idea of what engine you have or what the problem actually is
I could have been definate but I dropped my crystal ball & the crack is obsecuring the vision of you on your mower .