: 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
In these turbulent and uncertain economic times, food companies and retailers that monitor and respond to these subtle shifts in food consumption gain valuable lead time to adjust strategies before competitors who wait for official economic declarations.
—
Phil Lempert, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
Given everything is made to order, the lead time at Sabai is fairly quick.
—Lauren Arzbaecher, Architectural Digest, 25 Apr. 2025
In an interview with Indian news outlet Asian News International (ANI), BGMEA head Faruque Hassan said that the cancellation of the transshipment services would increase freight costs and lead times for exports out of Bangladesh.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 14 Apr. 2025
But 40 years of advancements in meteorology have extended the time between an emergency alert and tornado touchdown from just a few minutes in the 1980s to around 13 to 15 minutes today – quadrupling the lead time, according to Stensrud.
—Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lead time
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.
Phil Lempert, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
Given everything is made to order, the lead time at Sabai is fairly quick.
—Lauren Arzbaecher, Architectural Digest, 25 Apr. 2025
In an interview with Indian news outlet Asian News International (ANI), BGMEA head Faruque Hassan said that the cancellation of the transshipment services would increase freight costs and lead times for exports out of Bangladesh.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 14 Apr. 2025
But 40 years of advancements in meteorology have extended the time between an emergency alert and tornado touchdown from just a few minutes in the 1980s to around 13 to 15 minutes today – quadrupling the lead time, according to Stensrud.
—Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 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 5 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share