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
Sam Taylor-Johnson directed the film, with Marisa Abela in the lead role.
—
Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 12 Apr. 2024
In its Friday update, Richard Pan is still in the lead, but all four candidates have equal chances of making it to the November runoff, said Paul Mitchell, vice president of bipartisan voting data firm Political Data Inc.
—Theresa Clift, Sacramento Bee, 26 Mar. 2024
The work by composer Missy Mazzoli and librettist Royce Vavrek premiered in 2016 at Opera Philadelphia, with Duffy in the lead role as Bess.
—Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, 3 Apr. 2024
As supporters cheered early numbers that showed her in the lead, Patterson asked that whatever happened, people not bash her opponent.
—Brandy Zadrozny, NBC News, 3 Apr. 2024
Auburn got the first two runners on base in the fourth inning when Irish walked and Peirce singled, but Smith kept Arkansas in the lead with three consecutive strikeouts.
—Bob Holt, arkansasonline.com, 22 Mar. 2024
This team doesn’t have two players to match the skill of Reeves and Stoudamire — the ingredients aren’t an exact match, in other words — but the collection of perimeter talent, with Love in the lead, offers the same advantages.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 19 Mar. 2024
In Brazil, a group that parades at Carnival learns the joy of performing with women in the lead.
—Cameron Pugh, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Mar. 2024
The acknowledgement from some, but not all, news outlets on Tuesday about the true nature of Biden’s deposition marked another embarrassing moment for the national press, which has floundered at pivotal moments in the lead up to the crucial 2024 presidential election.
—Oliver Darcy, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024
Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 12 Apr. 2024
In its Friday update, Richard Pan is still in the lead, but all four candidates have equal chances of making it to the November runoff, said Paul Mitchell, vice president of bipartisan voting data firm Political Data Inc.
—Theresa Clift, Sacramento Bee, 26 Mar. 2024
The work by composer Missy Mazzoli and librettist Royce Vavrek premiered in 2016 at Opera Philadelphia, with Duffy in the lead role as Bess.
—Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, 3 Apr. 2024
As supporters cheered early numbers that showed her in the lead, Patterson asked that whatever happened, people not bash her opponent.
—Brandy Zadrozny, NBC News, 3 Apr. 2024
Auburn got the first two runners on base in the fourth inning when Irish walked and Peirce singled, but Smith kept Arkansas in the lead with three consecutive strikeouts.
—Bob Holt, arkansasonline.com, 22 Mar. 2024
This team doesn’t have two players to match the skill of Reeves and Stoudamire — the ingredients aren’t an exact match, in other words — but the collection of perimeter talent, with Love in the lead, offers the same advantages.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 19 Mar. 2024
In Brazil, a group that parades at Carnival learns the joy of performing with women in the lead.
—Cameron Pugh, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Mar. 2024
The acknowledgement from some, but not all, news outlets on Tuesday about the true nature of Biden’s deposition marked another embarrassing moment for the national press, which has floundered at pivotal moments in the lead up to the crucial 2024 presidential election.
—Oliver Darcy, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'in the lead.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near 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 26 Apr. 2024.
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