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
Alex Ritman, Variety, 13 June 2025
Left fielder Melky Cabrera chased down Chris Snyder’s one-out flyball in the sixth, scurrying back to make a leaping catch on the warning track.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2025
George Gene Gustines, New York Times, 1 June 2025
Don’t take big leaps that don’t align with your desires (i.e., with no chance for reward).
—Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for leap
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Verb
Total investment on film and prestige TV in the U.K. in 2024 leaped 31% to $7 billion, the second-highest year on record, according to figures from the British Film Industry.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 13 June 2025
Left fielder Melky Cabrera chased down Chris Snyder’s one-out flyball in the sixth, scurrying back to make a leaping catch on the warning track.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2025
Noun
The story is thoughtful and also takes provocative leaps: Mark envisions conversations with saints whose sexuality was erased in interpretations of the Bible.
—George Gene Gustines, New York Times, 1 June 2025
Don’t take big leaps that don’t align with your desires (i.e., with no chance for reward).
—Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 June 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 16 Jun. 2025.
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