How to Use lead-in in a Sentence

lead-in

noun
  • There’s no longer any need for a soft lead-in to a main message.
    Angela Haupt, Time, 28 Jan. 2026
  • That's the best lead-in in television.
    Zulekha Nathoo, USA Today, 8 June 2026
  • His new album, for which this EP is the lead-in, would hearken to the past.
    Molly Lambert, Vulture, 1 Aug. 2024
  • Colorado had a successful lead-in to deadline day.
    Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 7 Mar. 2026
  • The lead-in time now is longer than ever to get your ducks in a row and material market ready.
    Alex Ritman, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Feb. 2023
  • Did that seem too abrupt to just drop at the top of a new paragraph with absolutely zero lead-in?
    Nick Caruso, TVLine, 29 Sep. 2024
  • The lead-in to all of television is now the lead-off for Sunday baseball as well.
    Todd Spangler, Variety, 13 May 2024
  • Of course, the lead-in shows were getting 30 and 40 million, which was a big part of it.
    Clayton Davis, Variety, 18 Aug. 2025
  • Some of these will also present great lead-in opportunities.
    Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2026
  • Marathon will have standard cosmetic shop/battle pass stuff in addition to the lead-in price.
    Paul Tassi, Forbes, 18 Sep. 2024
  • That kind of potential lead-in boost is not possible with streaming partners.
    Luke Smith, The Athletic, 12 Feb. 2025
  • Pop singer Gracie Abrams was announced as the lucky lead-in for the biggest tour on the planet.
    Joe Mutascio, The Indianapolis Star, 3 Aug. 2023
  • The Ardennes classics that follow feel more like the lead-in to the Giro d’Italia.
    Jessica Hopkins, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
  • Based on this weak field, his lead-in form and resume, Kim's odds should be lower than +3000.
    Geoff Clark Outkick, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026
  • As for her lead-in, Stephen Colbert, talk of his future on the network seems to be on hold for another day.
    Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 7 May 2025
  • That is above its lead-in, The Neighborhood, and half of the series the network has renewed for next season.
    Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 27 Mar. 2026
  • And the plan for most stations is True Crime News as either a lead-in to or lead-out from the local or network news.
    Marc Berman, Forbes, 9 Sep. 2024
  • The counter argument is that the 60 Minutes lead-in for most of the season is the best lead-in in television.
    Zulekha Nathoo, USA Today, 8 June 2026
  • If the projections meet the forecast, the April vacations could provide a potent lead-in for the summer.
    Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 21 Apr. 2024
  • The solid performance is thanks in part to a lead-in from an NFL doubleheader.
    Katie Campione, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2024
  • Eric Cole This is another guy who has great lead-in form but isn’t getting respect in the betting market.
    Geoff Clark Outkick, FOXNews.com, 9 June 2026
  • The women's tournament serves as a lead-in event ahead of the Masters, which begins Thursday with the opening round.
    Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 9 Apr. 2026
  • An hour earlier, Will Trent provided a nice lead-in with its Season 4 premiere.
    Katie Campione, Deadline, 21 Jan. 2026
  • In some markets, Hollywood Squares will also serve as the lead-in to Barrymore’s daytime talk show.
    Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Jan. 2025
  • His stint also includes Golf Channel's two hours of lead-in coverage on the weekend at Bay Hill.
    ABC News, 24 Feb. 2026
  • But Fear did not get TWD as a lead-in, and instead premiered five months later, airing weekly after that.
    Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • Its Sunday lead-in, Task, is also drawing solid ratings heading into its finale.
    Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2025
  • In the first act, the hosts use soul food recipes to introduce a series of soul artists; for example, peach cobbler is the lead-in to the duo Peaches and Herb.
    Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2023
  • The series will also continue a trend of the Red Sox playing road exhibitions as a lead-in to the season opener.
    Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 9 Dec. 2024
  • Pecker's time on the stand was the lead-in to weeks worth of testimony from 18 others before Cohen, their final witness.
    Graham Kates, CBS News, 30 May 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lead-in.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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