leadoff

1 of 2

noun

lead·​off ˈlēd-ˌȯf How to pronounce leadoff (audio)
1
: a beginning or leading action
2
: one that leads off
leadoff adjective

lead off

2 of 2

verb

led off; leading off; leads off

intransitive verb

: begin
also : to come on or perform first

transitive verb

1
: to make a start on : open
2
: to bat first for a baseball team in (an inning)

Examples of leadoff in a Sentence

Verb plans to lead off the news conference with a prepared statement
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
In Betts’ case this year, it will all be compounded by his significant offensive responsibilities as the team’s leadoff hitter. Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 Taylor Rogers gave the Giants a scoreless fifth inning after walking the leadoff batter, then his brother took over the sixth, allowed a leadoff double to Jackson Chourio and forced three groundouts (one of which scored Chourio). Laurence Miedema, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2024 Players such as freshman Mattea Stern, who is expected to play left field and bat leadoff, and second baseman Malia Cuevas, a transfer from Los Alamitos. Dan Albano, Orange County Register, 7 Feb. 2024 New Hampshire rejected the DNC’s plan and held a leadoff primary last month anyway. TIME, 4 Feb. 2024 In the second inning, Lyles worked around a leadoff walk and finished with two strikeouts to conclude his outing. Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 1 Mar. 2024 Miami extended its lead to 3-1 with a third-inning leadoff single by Cuvet and double by Lorenzo Carrier. Susan Miller Degnan, Miami Herald, 22 Feb. 2024 Brady Anderson Longtime leadoff hitter Brady Anderson played center field and left field for the Orioles from 1988 to 2001. Paul McCardell, Baltimore Sun, 7 Feb. 2024 The leadoff hitter Albert Choi sent a solo shot just past the scoreboard in left field, and then cleanup hitter Kevin Putsky delivered a three-run shot that just snuck by the right field foul pole. Luke Sims, Miami Herald, 18 Feb. 2024
Verb
Jordan Marian and Marcus Greis hit back-to-back singles to lead off the inning for the Lions. Lou Ponsi, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024 The Gators led 1-0 after the first inning when Heyman reached on an error by UM shortstop Antonio Jimenez, scoring Kurland, who led off with a single before advancing to second on a wild pitch. Susan Miller Degnan, Miami Herald, 2 Mar. 2024 Diggs doubled to lead off the seventh and scored on a throwing error by Michigan second baseman Jack Counsell. Matt Jones, arkansasonline.com, 26 Feb. 2024 Photos showed the men being led off the field by security while in handcuffs. USA TODAY, 12 Feb. 2024 The lawsuit alleges that the then 15-year-old girl, whose name was withheld in the lawsuit, was led off campus by three male students in October 2022. Claudia Lauer, Fortune, 24 Jan. 2024 Though Biden lost the state to Trump in 2020 by almost 12 percentage points, the Democrats’ selection of South Carolina was the result of a larger goal to find more diverse states to lead off their 2024 presidential primary calendar. Rachel Schilke, Washington Examiner, 15 Jan. 2024 After taking a one-point lead off a three-pointer from Harrison Hornery, the Trojans (8-8, 2-3 Pac-12) went scoreless during the final 2 minutes 16 seconds as Washington State (11-5, 2-3 ) finished the game with nine unanswered points. Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2024 Billboard can exclusively reveal the first details that Krazy Super Concert will make its Los Angeles debut at BMO Stadium during the 2024 Lunar New Year weekend with K-pop groups The Boyz and aespa leading off the lineup announcement. Jeff Benjamin, Billboard, 22 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'leadoff.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1886, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1806, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of leadoff was in 1806

Dictionary Entries Near leadoff

Cite this Entry

“Leadoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leadoff. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

leadoff

noun
lead·​off ˈlēd-ˌȯf How to pronounce leadoff (audio)
1
: a beginning action
2
: one that begins something
leadoff adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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