in the lead

idiom

1
: in a position that is ahead of others
They walked single file, with the oldest boy in the lead.
2
: winning in a race or competition
Our team was in the lead.

Examples of in the lead in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Powell, who returns to the big screen this weekend in Edgar Wright’s The Running Man, knew that his mentor would be especially helpful in the lead-up to his new action thriller involving lots of running and changing of disguises. Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 12 Nov. 2025 Thornton won the Academy Award for best screenplay and earned an Oscar nomination for his performance in the lead role. Ashley Hume , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 12 Nov. 2025 However, Kyle Quinn of 94 WIP almost certainly stepped over the line in his assessment of the contest in the lead up to the clash, going as far to say that the Packers' Week 1 win over the Detroit Lions shouldn't even really count. Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025 Wahlberg, nephew of Mark Wahlberg, will next be seen in the lead role of Corrin Evans’ indie horror feature, Corpus. Denise Petski, Deadline, 10 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for in the lead

Cite this Entry

“In the lead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20the%20lead. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!