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

Carson Benge bobbled a ball in left field, turning a leadoff single into a double for Jacob Wilson, and former Mets utilityman Jeff McNeil sent him home with a single. —Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 11 Apr. 2026

Lenyn Sosa recorded a leadoff double in the fifth inning and Derek Hill added a single in the sixth. —Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 11 Apr. 2026

Verb

Judge’s homer off Anderson leading off the bottom half gave him 47 multi-homer games, one more than Mickey Mantle and trailing only Babe Ruth’s 68 among Yankees. —ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026

Shohei Ohtani extended his career-high on-base streak to 47 games when he got hit on the upper right shoulder blade by a pitch from David Peterson (0-3) leading off the bottom of the first. —CBS News, 13 Apr. 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