: the time between the beginning of a process or project and the appearance of its results
Examples of lead time in a Sentence
We will need at least six months lead time before production begins.
Recent Examples on the Web
The relentless downward pressure on price led to growing minimums and longer lead times.
—
Christian Birky, Sourcing Journal, 19 Sep. 2025
Until those midstream gaps close, downstream players face single‑point‑of‑failure risk, longer logistics chains and unpredictable lead times.
—Brendon Grunewald, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Morgan Stanley reiterates Apple as overweight Morgan Stanley said its checks show that trends are mixed for Apple’s iPhone 17 lead times.
—Michael Bloom, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2025
The result is an array that can be assembled at the same time as the solar cells are being produced, cutting down lead times and supporting higher-rate production.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lead time
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Christian Birky, Sourcing Journal, 19 Sep. 2025
Until those midstream gaps close, downstream players face single‑point‑of‑failure risk, longer logistics chains and unpredictable lead times.
—Brendon Grunewald, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Morgan Stanley reiterates Apple as overweight Morgan Stanley said its checks show that trends are mixed for Apple’s iPhone 17 lead times.
—Michael Bloom, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2025
The result is an array that can be assembled at the same time as the solar cells are being produced, cutting down lead times and supporting higher-rate production.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lead time
Cite this Entry
“Lead time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lead%20time. Accessed 26 Sep. 2025.
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