1
: to spring free from or as if from the ground : jump
leap over a fence
a fish leaps out of the water
2
a
: 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
: to pass over by leaping
leaped the wall
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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Nina Totenberg, NPR, 6 Oct. 2025
Daria spotted the crying woman from the consulate, now in a pink bikini and a green mesh coverup, waiting her turn to leap onto the beach.
—Catherine Lacey, New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2025
Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 6 Oct. 2025
The show takes a major leap in characterizing the relationship between Gein and hardware store owner/manager Bernice Worden as romantic.
—Jr Radcliffe, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for leap
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Verb
Indeed, even the normally mild-mannered Justice Stephen Breyer, who retired from the court in 2022, leaped to the defense of Reagan appointee William Young, the author of the decision Gorsuch criticized.
—Nina Totenberg, NPR, 6 Oct. 2025
Daria spotted the crying woman from the consulate, now in a pink bikini and a green mesh coverup, waiting her turn to leap onto the beach.
—Catherine Lacey, New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2025
Noun
While Nashville has grown by leaps and bounds, so have its smaller surrounding cities, as people flock to the suburbs, eager to enjoy small-town charm while staying close to the conveniences of a major metro.
—Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 6 Oct. 2025
The show takes a major leap in characterizing the relationship between Gein and hardware store owner/manager Bernice Worden as romantic.
—Jr Radcliffe, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for leap
Cite this Entry
“Leap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leap. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.
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