take the lead

idiom

1

: to take a position that is ahead of others : go first

You take the lead and we'll follow right behind you.

2

: to take the winning position in a race or competition

Her car has taken the lead.

Our team took the lead in the eighth inning.

—often used figuratively

Their company has taken the lead in developing this new technology.

Examples of take the lead in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Seattle Seahawks: Zach Charbonnet — Kenneth Walker’s injuries and 2024 play opened the door for Charbonnet to take the lead. —Jake Ciely, New York Times, 21 May 2025

The Fever missed two shots to take the lead, and the Dream took home a thrilling victory. —Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 21 May 2025

Instead of Soto potentially hustling out a single and setting the Mets up to take the lead, he was easily thrown out by LeMahieu. —Hunter Mulholland, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 May 2025

Panthers take the lead Seth Jones gives the Panthers a 1-0 lead 3:15 into the second period. —Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 19 May 2025

Rhymes for take the lead

• abed
• ahead
• beachhead
• bedspread
• bedstead
• behead
• blackhead
• blockhead
• bloodshed
• bowhead
• breastfed
• bridgehead