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
• embark (on or upon)
• enter (into or upon)
• fall (to)
• get off
• kick off
• launch
• open
• start
• strike (into)

Examples of leadoff in a Sentence

Verb

plans to lead off the news conference with a prepared statement

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Advertisement The numbers are the numbers, however, and Ohtani’s are unacceptable for a leadoff hitter. —Dylan Hernández, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2024

Payton Eeles had a leadoff homer in the bottom of the first inning — the second time in four games for him — and Williams added his 15th of the year. —Pioneer Press, Twin Cities, 19 Sep. 2024

Verb

Francisco Lindor led off the game with a homer on the eighth pitch from opener Ryan Brasier, the first of five Dodger pitchers. —Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 15 Oct. 2024

The week will close with major banks taking center stage Friday, as JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Wells Fargo (WFC), BlackRock (BLK), and the BNY Mellon (BK) lead off the quarterly earnings season for the financial sector. —Vinamrata Chaturvedi, Quartz, 6 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1886, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1806, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Kids Definition

leadoff

noun

lead·​off ˈlēd-ˌȯf 

1

: a beginning action

2

: one that begins something

leadoff adjective