1
as in main
coming before all others in importance
they are the leading suppliers of processed meat in the country
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in commanding
highest in rank or authority
served as the leading counsel on the defendant's legal team
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in guiding
to point out the way for (someone) especially from a position in front
an enthusiastic docent led our group through the art museum
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in heading
to serve as leader of
a senior programmer is leading the team that is developing the new accounting software
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in accompanying
to be at the front of
the local high school's marching band led the parade
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
5
as in showing
to give advice and instruction to (someone) regarding the course or process to be followed
the salesclerk led us through the maze of options now available to television buyers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of leading
Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025
In most past cycles, initial jobless claims, reported every Thursday morning, have provided a good leading indicator for the likely path of domestic employment.
—Sean Conlon,alex Harring, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2025
Denise Petski, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2025
HarbourView Equity Partners is leading a $30 million investment in Lion Forge Entertainment, one of the entertainment studios behind the Oscar-winning Hair Love.
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for leading
Adjective
There were still tens of thousands of Covid-19 deaths in the US last year, but suicide moved up to the tenth leading cause of death – with nearly 49,000 lives lost in 2024.
—Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025
In most past cycles, initial jobless claims, reported every Thursday morning, have provided a good leading indicator for the likely path of domestic employment.
—Sean Conlon,alex Harring, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
An accomplished writer and producer, Ross is a leading trans activist and founder of the nonprofit Trans Tech Social Enterprises.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2025
HarbourView Equity Partners is leading a $30 million investment in Lion Forge Entertainment, one of the entertainment studios behind the Oscar-winning Hair Love.
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for leading
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leading
Adjective
-
The character collection leans into more alternate builds for main characters.—
Rob Wieland,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Use jig and pigs 18 to 25 feet deep along brush piles or main lake points with a gradual slope.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
For cruising around town while keeping tabs on the surrounding potholes, traffic and pedestrians, however, many cyclists prefer the more commanding, upright, back-friendly stance offered by a flat handlebar.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
9 Sep. 2025
-
As one of the world’s largest tech giants, Google’s position in the space is a commanding one, though competition from the likes of Meta, OpenAI and others is fierce.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In such cases, an AI assistant will be vital for decision-making, monitoring health, and guiding experiments.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The coach who turned 100 last month perhaps is best known for guiding Buffalo to four straight Super Bowls and, alas, losing all four.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The big question heading into Beauty in Black Season 2, Part 2 is what will happen to Varney and Charles, who are held at gunpoint by masked men who broke into Charles’s home.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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The 19-year-old D-man was taken in the sixth round (186th overall) of the 2024 draft, heading for Moncton after seeing 19 games at the professional level in Sweden.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The dispute was heard by an arbitrator (and not a judge) because, per SPAC language and accompanying NBPA regulations, player-agent disputes are subject to arbitration.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
12 Sep. 2025
-
As of publication, the song and its accompanying video are only available on social media.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Stablecoins now connect digital assets to the machinery of government debt, influencing yields, shaping monetary policy, and extending the reach of the dollar abroad.—
Becca Bratcher,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
-
To bridge the gap between innovation and investment, Biofabricate is extending its reach beyond London.—
Rhonda Richford,
Footwear News,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Reporters noted that the robot stopped smoothly after the race, showing no signs of fatigue.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Sep. 2025
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The Camera app has been streamlined for simplicity, with just two options, Video and Photo, showing initially.—
David Phelan,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Indeed, the only character from The Office that actually carried over into the new series is Oscar, who serves as the lead accountant for Softees but gets dragooned into reporting and constructing Sudokus for the paper.—
Michael M. Rosen,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
-
This is analyzed by a mass spectrometer to count uranium and lead atoms.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Leading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leading. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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