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.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of leading
Sophie Yeo, The Dial, 4 Nov. 2025
Starting with Sunday’s road battle against the Buffalo Bills, each of the Chiefs’ next four games features a matchup against one of the NFL’s top four leading rushers.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 31 Oct. 2025
Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 11 Nov. 2025
Daigneault doesn’t just coach these Thunder players who have been on the come-up for quite some time now (and who are a league-leading 10-1 so far this season despite Williams being out because of offseason wrist surgery).
—Sam Amick, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for leading
Adjective
Something like this would be harder to dismiss, potentially leading, for example, to London experiencing winters more than 20 degrees Celsius colder than its current average.
—Sophie Yeo, The Dial, 4 Nov. 2025
Starting with Sunday’s road battle against the Buffalo Bills, each of the Chiefs’ next four games features a matchup against one of the NFL’s top four leading rushers.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
The Chiefs can improve their playoff chances Sunday with a win at Empower Field at Mile High against the Broncos, who are leading the AFC West.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 11 Nov. 2025
Daigneault doesn’t just coach these Thunder players who have been on the come-up for quite some time now (and who are a league-leading 10-1 so far this season despite Williams being out because of offseason wrist surgery).
—Sam Amick, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for leading
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leading
Adjective
-
But for much of the past two centuries, Port Renfrew’s main source of employment was not promoting trees but rather chopping them down—particularly, giant, old-growth trees that fetched the highest value.—
Brad Badelt,
Outside,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Rachelle Salnave, a filmmaker in Haiti, sent me videos of a piece of the Route Nationale, the country’s main transportation artery, collapsing like a glacier into a roiling, swollen river.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
11 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The World Series continues with Game 6 as the Dodgers look to take a commanding 3-1 lead.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Taylor opted to go sans top beneath the jacket, heightening the commanding sensual style.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Mike Vrabel has breathed life into the New England Patriots, guiding them to a 7-2 start while riding a six-game winning streak despite fielding a roster that still has its fair share of deficiencies.—
Mike Jones,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Mamdani, 34, is a charismatic socialist who has limited experience in the private sector and seems utterly unconcerned about his guiding philosophy’s long track record of creating misery.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Wait for 30 minutes after the final lightning or thunder before heading outside again.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Nov. 2025
-
With its proximity to the Caribbean Sea, the area is a popular transit hub for cocaine making its way from Colombia to Trinidad and other Caribbean islands before heading to Europe.—
NPR,
NPR,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
On Tuesday, Israeli volunteers with RHR were injured while accompanying Palestinian farmers in the town of Qarawat Bani Hassan.—
Zeena Saifi,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Dakota Johnson, a Valentino ambassador who also stars in the campaign, sung McRae's praises in an accompanying essay.—
Michelle Lee,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Consider Tupperware’s FridgeSmart Container Set your secret weapon to extending the life of your produce, organizing your food, and adding money back to your pocket.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Schumer, who voted against the package, had pressed for a guarantee on extending Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, a Democratic demand that was ultimately not met in the deal.—
Deputy News Editor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Some policymakers have expressed hesitancy to but based on data showing inflation remains well above the Fed’s 2% target, while others in favor of lowering rates fear further labor market deterioration.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
10 Nov. 2025
-
The driver gets a 5-inch color dash showing key data such a remaining battery, drive mode, speed and more.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
10 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Graham is the lead author of a study about the unprecedented phenomenon that published Tuesday in the journal Nature Astronomy.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Andrew Bean, a researcher at the Oxford Internet Institute and another lead author of the study, concurred that even reputable benchmarks are too often blindly trusted and deserve more scrutiny.—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Leading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leading. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share