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 of leadoff

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

Four relievers followed, with Riley O'Brien working around a leadoff walk in the ninth for his 12th save. —ABC News, 13 May 2026

Nick Kurtz, the 23-year-old first baseman who extended his on-base streak to 35 games on Tuesday with a leadoff walk for the longest active streak in MLB. —Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 13 May 2026

Verb

Senior second baseman MaKayla Van Vossen, a DePaul recruit, led off a three-run first with an opposite-field blast to left-center for her fifth home run of the season. —Michael Osipoff, Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2026

Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani led off the bottom half of the third inning. —Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026

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