leadoff

1 of 2

noun

lead·​off ˈlēd-ˌȯf 

1

: a beginning or leading action

2

: one that leads off

leadoff adjective

lead off

2 of 2

verb

ˈlēd- 

led off; leading off; leads off

intransitive verb

: begin

also : to come on or perform first

transitive verb

1

: to make a start on : open

2

: to bat first for a baseball team in (an inning)

Synonyms

Verb

• begin
• commence
• start
• fall (to)
• set about
• get off
• embark (on or upon)
• get going
• open

Examples of leadoff in a Sentence

Verb

plans to lead off the news conference with a prepared statement

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The Mets also got a leadoff home run from Brandon Nimmo, whose 19 homers put him on pace to shatter his career high of 24. —Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 23 July 2025

And in the case of the Red Sox on Monday night, the evening began on the high note of Jarren Duran’s leadoff home run, and was all downhill from there. —Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 22 July 2025

Verb

The Padres grabbed the lead in the second inning when Jackson Merrill singled to right, scoring Xander Bogaerts, who had led off with a double to center. —Steve Gorten, Miami Herald, 21 July 2025

The Padres’ No. 7 batter, Iglesias, led off the third with a double grounded to the right field corner for their first hit of the game. —Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1886, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1806, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for leadoff

• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff
• playoff

Kids Definition

leadoff

noun

lead·​off ˈlēd-ˌȯf 

1

: a beginning action

2

: one that begins something

leadoff adjective