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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of leadoff
Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Donovan should lead off a lineup that returns Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodríguez, both top-six finishers in AL MVP voting last year, plus Naylor and Randy Arozarena.
—Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 10 Feb. 2026
With Baylor leading off and Collier anchoring, the moment felt fitting — one brother handing the torch to another.
—Ansley Gavlak, AJC.com, 8 Feb. 2026
The movie division’s success led off Disney’s Q1 2026 earnings call earlier this week, with Iger giving Bergman and his team a shout-out.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for leadoff
Verb
After pitchers, catchers and several position players completed their physicals Wednesday, no storyline from the opening day of camp carried more weight than the one that leads off our first takeaways report from Yankees spring training.
—Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Donovan should lead off a lineup that returns Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodríguez, both top-six finishers in AL MVP voting last year, plus Naylor and Randy Arozarena.
—Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 10 Feb. 2026
With Baylor leading off and Collier anchoring, the moment felt fitting — one brother handing the torch to another.
—Ansley Gavlak, AJC.com, 8 Feb. 2026
The movie division’s success led off Disney’s Q1 2026 earnings call earlier this week, with Iger giving Bergman and his team a shout-out.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for leadoff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leadoff
Adjective
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But midway through the first, Nayeli Thayer (two assists) found Cataruzolo for a shot at the right post and a 2-0 lead on the rebound after Metzler stuffed the first bid.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
18 Feb. 2026
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During this more recent round of Epstein disclosures, Larry Summers, the former president of Harvard University and Treasury secretary in the Clinton administration, was among the first business leaders to experience professional blowback.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Paxton began his run for the GOP nomination with a relatively low profile and less spending than Cornyn, but has kicked his campaign into high gear as the primary approaches.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Feb. 2026
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Kaley sued Snap and TikTok as well; the two companies settled before the trial began but remain defendants in hundreds of other cases.—
Clare Duffy,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Public pressure became even stronger after the initial wave of Ukrainian liberations of towns around Kyiv revealed Russian atrocities – including mass killings of civilians.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
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Authorities in Minnesota are investigating two more fatal house fires after an initial deadly blaze last weekend.—
Forum News Service,
Twin Cities,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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As previously reported by FN, Pedro García’s 100th anniversary celebrations commenced in 2025 with a range of endeavors including a special capsule collection called Essentia, in-store pop-ins, the aforementioned commemorative book and a series of exclusive events.—
Jaden Thompson,
Footwear News,
19 Feb. 2026
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Tied heavily to the moon's phases, the Lunar New Year has commenced this week as adherents usher in the Year of the Horse with a variety of cultural traditions.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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All of this was capped off by her Rose team capturing the inaugural Unrivaled championship.—
D’Joumbarey Moreau,
Miami Herald,
19 Feb. 2026
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The issue began earlier this week with the inaugural Frame Forward AI Animated Film Festival announcing Igor Alferov’s short film Thanksgiving Day had won the contest.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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For reference, batteries in things like cellphones typically require around 800 cycles before the battery starts to degrade.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Feb. 2026
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The three-way pact is scheduled for joint review starting July 1.—
Foreign Correspondent,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Italy finished its maiden World Cup appearance with plaudits after stunning Nepal and losing to England narrowly, Scotland and the West Indies.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Feb. 2026
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Plutarch lost his first four starts, including three in stakes races, before winning a maiden race on the final day of Del Mar’s fall meeting.—
Jay Posner,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Now a Westin now, the property includes a modern tower, upping the original room count of 75 to 791.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 Feb. 2026
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The scientists returned in 2019 and located the original site using drones and GPS.—
Matthew Glasser,
ABC News,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Leadoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leadoff. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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