leapfrog

1 of 2

noun

leap·​frog ˈlēp-ˌfrȯg 

-ˌfräg

: a game in which one player bends down and is vaulted over by another player

leapfrog

2 of 2

verb

leapfrogged; leapfrogging

intransitive verb

: to leap or progress in or as if in leapfrog

transitive verb

1

: to go ahead of (each other) in turn

specifically : to advance (two military units) by keeping one unit in action while moving the other unit past it to a position farther in front

2

: to evade by or as if by a bypass

Examples of leapfrog in a Sentence

Verb

Skipping his last two years of high school, he leapfrogged his classmates and went to college.

This year's technologies are leapfrogging last year's designs.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

This creates a leapfrog effect: Early-stage companies can code culture, compliance and scale into v1, skipping the guesswork that once took years. —Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025

In my view, AI is that leapfrog technology for health care. —Alexa Mikhail, Fortune, 9 July 2025

Verb

The country leapfrogged to the top spot this year after having come in 14th place in 2024. —Katie Nadworny, Travel + Leisure, 28 Oct. 2025

Ewers will serve as the No 2 quarterback for the game after seemingly leapfrogging Wilson in practice this week. —Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1599, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1872, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for leapfrog

• agog
• backlog
• bulldog
• bullfrog
• eclogue
• eggnog
• groundhog
• hedgehog
• prolog
• sheepdog
• watchdog
• analog

Kids Definition

leapfrog

noun

leap·​frog

ˈlēp-ˌfrȯg,

-ˌfräg

: a game in which the first player bends down and another leaps over