: 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
Ben Sulayem’s latest comments come at a time when there needs to be consensus on what the next generation of engines will look like, with the conversation set to grow increasingly serious in the coming weeks given the lead times involved for designing and building top racing engines.
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Luke Smith, New York Times, 6 May 2026
Uptime rises, lead times shrink, costs come down, and more production moves closer to where it is needed.
—Theo Saville, Fortune, 6 May 2026
Most of the Hasbro employees who worked on Ultimate Grogu and met with PEOPLE also brought the company's first Baby Yoda toys — including an animatronic — to fruition in 2020, despite having little lead time to develop them and no reference materials.
—Kirsten Acuna, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026
Beehive’s approach will reduce costs and lead times, addressing Pentagon concerns about maintaining airpower in high-intensity conflicts where traditional supply lines are disrupted.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lead time
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Luke Smith, New York Times, 6 May 2026
Uptime rises, lead times shrink, costs come down, and more production moves closer to where it is needed.
—Theo Saville, Fortune, 6 May 2026
Most of the Hasbro employees who worked on Ultimate Grogu and met with PEOPLE also brought the company's first Baby Yoda toys — including an animatronic — to fruition in 2020, despite having little lead time to develop them and no reference materials.
—Kirsten Acuna, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026
Beehive’s approach will reduce costs and lead times, addressing Pentagon concerns about maintaining airpower in high-intensity conflicts where traditional supply lines are disrupted.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 30 Apr. 2026
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 8 May. 2026.
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