as in first
coming before all others in time or order
the leadoff batter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to begin
to take the first step in (a process or course of action)
plans to lead off the news conference with a prepared statement
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of leadoff
Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2026
Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2026
Ceddanne Rafaela led off the third inning with a single and took second when Isiah Kiner-Falefa beat the throw on a bunt.
—CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for leadoff
Adjective
Those four all ranked among the top 40 in baseball in non-leadoff plate appearances with the bases empty last season.
—Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2026
Verb
Aaron McClarnon lead off with a single and came around to score after a pair of sacrifice plays and a two-out double by Sam Lambert.
—Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2026
Ceddanne Rafaela led off the third inning with a single and took second when Isiah Kiner-Falefa beat the throw on a bunt.
—CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for leadoff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leadoff
Adjective
-
The first offset was the development of nuclear weapons, which secured American dominance over a Soviet Union that could rely on mass mobilization.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
15 Apr. 2026
-
System sales to China fell to 19% of overall sales in the first quarter, compared to 36% in the December quarter.—
Arjun Kharpal,
CNBC,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In corporate news, luxury conglomerate and industry bellwether LVMH reported quarterly sales that missed expectations on Monday as the sector begins to decipher the fallout from the war in the Middle East and its impact on stocks.—
Leonie Kidd,
CNBC,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Rumors of a feud began when Cooper's Unwell network dropped Earle's Hot Mess podcast in February 2025.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The permanent chair controls a $468,000 committee budget, the second-largest of any City Council committee, and holds a seat on the Chicago Plan Commission, which gives initial approval to major developments.—
Jake Sheridan,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Oil prices rose again Thursday above $100 a barrel as initial optimism about a truce gave way to uncertainty.—
Mithil Aggarwal,
NBC news,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The mother aboard a Caribbean Airlines flight had a successful delivery, as Fox News Digital previously reported — but shortly after the unexpected arrival, a hot debate about the baby's citizenship commenced.—
Jessica Mekles,
FOXNews.com,
9 Apr. 2026
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Panther is a third-generation full-size wheeled dual-arm humanoid robot, and UniX AI has commenced global deliveries.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Ahead of the inaugural run, TIFF has aligned with Access Canada Summit to attract more industry professionals.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Apr. 2026
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The film has screened at more than 85 festivals across some 40 countries since its Sundance breakthrough, picking up the jury prize at the inaugural SXSW London in 2025.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Wild stay in the West, starting at Nashville and ending at home against Anaheim — two teams fighting for playoff spots.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
In Genoa, a school started to offer a course in drumming for people over sixty.—
Tim Parks,
New Yorker,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The maiden flight took place on Saturday at an airport in Zhuzhou, Hunan province, marking the first time such a powerful hydrogen aviation engine has been tested in real flight conditions.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Apr. 2026
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Bob Baffert trains the two favorites, San Felipe winner Potente (2-1) and Cherokee Nation (5-2), whose lone career win came in a maiden race in late February but produced the fastest Beyer Speed Figure (100) in the field.—
Jay Posner,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Miller structured the play differently, snapping back between realism and symbolism, as manifest in Jo Mielziner’s famous original set.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
10 Apr. 2026
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The original proposal included a provision that would have banned athletes from participating in sports after three positive tests.—
Brady Halbleib,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Leadoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leadoff. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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