ahead
adverb or adjective
1
a
: in a forward direction or position : forward
b
: in front
2
: in, into, or for the future
plan ahead
3
: in or toward a more advantageous position
helped others to get ahead
4
: at or to an earlier time : in advance
make payments ahead
5
a
: in or into a leading position in a race or competition
a politician who is running ahead in most polls
Josh Carter scored from a yard out and the Pride added a two-point conversion to surge ahead 14-7.—
Cumberland (Maryland) Times-News
Cumberland (Maryland) Times-News
b
baseball
(1)
of a pitcher
: in or into the situation of having thrown more strikes than balls to a batter
Home run threat Mark Reynolds was up next with the bases loaded, but Colon quickly got ahead 1-2 in the count and struck the third baseman out swinging with a … fastball.—Ray Monell
Ray Monell
(2)
of a batter
: in or into the situation of having a count of more balls than strikes
Albert Pujols got ahead 3-1 and then lined one into the seats in left for his 20th home run of the year and second of the series.—John Fay
John FayExamples of ahead in a Sentence
call ahead for reservations
sent me ahead to get a place in the check-out line while she went to get the eggs and milk
the line moved ahead at a snail's pace
Recent Examples on the Web
His trip to Old Trafford for the Leeds United match will have left him contemplating the more difficult decisions ahead.
—Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Everson Pereira had a sacrifice fly to right and Sam Antonacci had an RBI triple in the inning as the Sox went ahead 4-0.
—Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 22 Apr. 2026
According to climate scientist Daniel Swain of the University of California’s Agriculture and Natural Resources, the heat wave is already altering California’s weather conditions and could have significant ramifications for the months ahead.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026
But with warm weather and wildfire season ahead, community leaders would prefer to see a full reservoir even if the water isn’t suitable for drinking.
—Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ahead
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Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Everson Pereira had a sacrifice fly to right and Sam Antonacci had an RBI triple in the inning as the Sox went ahead 4-0.
—Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 22 Apr. 2026
According to climate scientist Daniel Swain of the University of California’s Agriculture and Natural Resources, the heat wave is already altering California’s weather conditions and could have significant ramifications for the months ahead.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026
But with warm weather and wildfire season ahead, community leaders would prefer to see a full reservoir even if the water isn’t suitable for drinking.
—Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ahead
Cite this Entry
“Ahead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ahead. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ahead
adverb or adjective1
: in or toward the front
the road ahead
go ahead
2
: in, into, or for the future
think ahead
3
: in or toward a better position
came out $20 ahead on the deal
4
: at or to an earlier time : in advance
make payments ahead
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