leap

verb

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\ ˈlēp

leaped or leapt\ ˈlēpt

also ˈlept

\; leaping\ ˈlē-piŋ

Definition of leap

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to spring free from or as if from the ground : jump leap over a fence a fish leaps out of the water

2a : to pass abruptly from one state or topic to another the difficult leap from college to the workplace

b : to act precipitately leaped at the chance

transitive verb

: to pass over by leaping leaped the wall

leap

noun

Definition of leap (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : an act of leaping : spring, bound

b(1) : a place leaped over or from

(2) : the distance covered by a leap

2a : a sudden passage or transition a great leap forward

b : a choice made in an area of ultimate concern a leap of faith

by leaps and bounds

: with extraordinary rapidity a town growing by leaps and bounds

Other Words from leap Synonyms More Example Sentences Phrases Containing leap Learn More About leap

Synonyms for leap

Synonyms: Verb

Synonyms: Noun

Examples of leap in a Sentence

Verb The cat suddenly leaped into the air. Fish were leaping out of the water. He leaped off the bridge. The boys leaped over the stream. The horse leaped the stone wall. When the alarm went off, she leapt out of bed. Noun She made a graceful leap into the air. He ran and took a flying leap over the stream. He won the high jump with a leap of six feet. the leap from childhood to adulthood She has shown great leaps in ability. Technology has taken a great leap forward. It required a leap of the imagination to picture how the project would look when it was completed. See More

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb At that point, Dillon does leap back into the stands. — Kassidy Hill, USA TODAY, 24 July 2022 Earth’s mightiest heroes often make their homes in New York, and the brothers, with their preternatural talents, leap off the book’s pages. — Jonah Bromwich, The Atlantic, 22 July 2022 The problem, though mysterious, is apparent and the characters quickly leap into solution mode, making for an adventure thrill ride without much in the way of a grand revelation or thematic reveal at its nonplussing end. — Essence, 22 July 2022 Dragon could, in theory, then leap decades forward in time, or backwards, to chronicle other events in the Targaryen dynasty (such as Aegon’s Conquest) with an entirely new cast. — James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 July 2022 Bettencourt did not leap into a concert tagged with conservation without doing extensive research. — Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 21 July 2022 But rays also will sometimes leap up and do a back flop or a belly flop, trying to shake off parasites. — al, 18 July 2022 When Tibbets — another of the Ohio rescues — presented himself for cuddles, Cheddar would leap on Young’s lap and press against her hand. — Paul Solotaroff, Rolling Stone, 4 July 2022 Despite consistently holding first-round draft stock, Terry didn’t exactly leap off the stat sheet after two seasons with Arizona. — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 24 June 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Stefanski had high praise for third-year wideout Donovan Peoples-Jones, who’s expected to make a leap this year. — cleveland, 29 July 2022 Jim Montgomery, into his second week on the job for the Bruins, was the fifth coach to make the leap to the NHL from college. — Matt Porter, BostonGlobe.com, 23 July 2022 As his raunchy Deadpool movies make the leap to Disney+, Ryan Reynolds is arguing that a few Disney classics are deserving of an R rating. — Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE.com, 22 July 2022 Fredrick does not easily fit into either the group of returning Wildcats looking to make a leap in production or the group of fresh faces working to make an immediate impact. — Jon Hale, The Courier-Journal, 15 July 2022 When Ladouceur left his finance job during the pandemic, the timing was right to make the leap into fulfilling his dream. — Gary Stern, Forbes, 11 July 2022 Rickenbacker provide the know-how and funding needed to make the next leap forward. — Fox News, 8 July 2022 Many internet stars aspire to make the leap to more traditional mediums, but Marcel is among the few to achieve the feat. — Wilson Wong, NBC News, 1 July 2022 While many talk about leaving, few will actually make the leap, according to Julia Jing, a consultant at Pacific Overseas Group in Beijing, which offers immigration advice. — Lyric Li, Washington Post, 15 June 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'leap.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.