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
Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 July 2025
Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto singled off right-hander Hunter Gaddis to lead off, once again putting runners on the corners with no outs for Alonso.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2025
Horwitz led off the game with a double and scored on Nick Gonzalez’s single.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 3 Aug. 2025
Elsewhere at practice, multiple starters went missing, Stefon Diggs continued to bat lead off in 11-on-11s, the kicking competition feels like a dead heat and Mike Vrabel welcomed a famous guest to practice.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for leadoff
Verb
The double led off the second inning and might have led to a big rally had the Padres not bunted into an out.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 July 2025
Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto singled off right-hander Hunter Gaddis to lead off, once again putting runners on the corners with no outs for Alonso.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2025
Horwitz led off the game with a double and scored on Nick Gonzalez’s single.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 3 Aug. 2025
Elsewhere at practice, multiple starters went missing, Stefon Diggs continued to bat lead off in 11-on-11s, the kicking competition feels like a dead heat and Mike Vrabel welcomed a famous guest to practice.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for leadoff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leadoff
Adjective
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Scientists at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia in Barcelona have recorded footage of a key stage of human development in real time, and in 3D, for the first time.—
Leslie Katz,
Forbes.com,
17 Aug. 2025
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Luis Quiñones #23 of UANL Tigres controls the ball against Emilio Lara (L) #23 of América during the first half of the Campeon de Campeones final at Dignity Health Sports Park on June 30, 2024 in Carson, California.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Then finally, last month, reports of Chappell filming a new music video in New York began to circulate, followed by an official announcement weeks later that the song would finally arrive on the evening of Thursday, July 31, with an official video to follow Friday morning.—
Andrew Unterberger,
Billboard,
6 Aug. 2025
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France began mandating age verification for adult content in April, and, in June, President Emmanuel Macron proposed banning children under the age of fifteen from social media.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The judge's action follows an initial court order of protection for McFarland to stay away from Haffner until the Sumner hearing could be scheduled, Kieley said.—
Andy Humbles,
The Tennessean,
7 Aug. 2025
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After Columbia County's initial involvement with the police report, the matter was referred to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, according to the sheriff's office.—
Lauren Peller,
ABC News,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Pre-orders of the album appeared on Taylor Swift’s website as soon as the time commenced.—
StyleCaster Editors,
StyleCaster,
13 Aug. 2025
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What Happens Next If approved, the first phase of the project, which costs $55 billion, will commence in the next few years.—
Theo Burman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The festival, which hosted its inaugural slate of performances in 2015, will continue the tradition of spotlighting a fresh local talent pool this year.—
Heather Bushman,
IndyStar,
15 Aug. 2025
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On Monday, August 11, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts announced the rollout of the inaugural BAFTA Honours, scheduled to take place on Sunday, November 2 in Los Angeles, California.—
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Swift and Kelce famously started dating in the summer of 2023, and seemingly first confirmed their romance when Swift started popping up at his NFL games in September of that year.—
Lauren Huff,
EW.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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As the oldest of three children, Fitzgerald had also just started living on his own in Manhattan, per the obit.—
David Chiu,
People.com,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Oceania’s second ship in its new Allura class has set sail on its maiden voyage taking travelers on itineraries around the Mediterranean Sea.—
Ramsey Qubein,
Forbes.com,
10 Aug. 2025
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Destiny, though, is slated to have its maiden voyage from the Fort Lauderdale port to the south on Nov. 20 followed by an inaugural season of four- and five-night voyages to the Bahamas and western Caribbean.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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This batch features the entire main cast of the original Star Trek series, from Capt. James T. Kirk, Spock and Uhura to Nurse and eventual-Chief Medical Officer Christine Chapel and Yeoman and eventual-Communications Officer Janice Rand.—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
18 Aug. 2025
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While some Warthogs may evade imminent retirement if Congress reverses some of the Pentagon’s cuts, upgrades to the aged attack plane in recent years distinguish it from the original model that entered service almost 50 years ago.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
17 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Leadoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leadoff. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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