lede

noun

ˈlēd 

: the introductory section of a news story that is intended to entice the reader to read the full story

The BBC buried the lede [=did not emphasize the most important information] when it reported that the number of millionaires increased by 5.2 million last year. … The bigger news … is that membership in the global middle class has exploded over the last two decades.

—Ronald Bailey

Examples of lede in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Of course Lionsgate, the company putting this film out, wanted to bury the lede in the promotional material (even the poster barely hints at the political aspect). —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 Jan. 2026

The lede of my story introduced a tenant named Bobbie Jo O’Dell, who, without question, was the reason this story could happen. —Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 11 Dec. 2025

As referenced in the lede to this story, Pietranton was known for his love of Springsteen. —Michael Schneider, Variety, 20 Nov. 2025

But at the risk of burying the lede even further ... Cade Cunningham is getting a signature shoe! —Christian Romo, Freep.com, 18 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

alteration of lead entry 2

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing lede

• buried the lede