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
Olivia-Anne Cleary, Time, 30 Sep. 2025
After falling while rock climbing, the second leading cause of accidents in 2024 was becoming lost or stranded.
—Maya Silver, Outside, 29 Sep. 2025
Chris Willman, Variety, 30 Sep. 2025
At the plate, Ohtani hit 55 homers, drove in 102 runs and scored a Major League-leading 146 more.
—Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for leading
Adjective
Advertisement In keeping with Bridgerton’s pass-the-baton tradition, Bailey took center stage in the second season as one-half of the new leading couple.
—Olivia-Anne Cleary, Time, 30 Sep. 2025
After falling while rock climbing, the second leading cause of accidents in 2024 was becoming lost or stranded.
—Maya Silver, Outside, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
She is considered a leading favorite to reclaim it this time around, given her recent success selling out her first headlining arena tour.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 30 Sep. 2025
At the plate, Ohtani hit 55 homers, drove in 102 runs and scored a Major League-leading 146 more.
—Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for leading
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leading
Adjective
-
Greek Yogurt Has More Protein If your main goal is to include more protein in your diet, consider breakfasts featuring Greek yogurt.—
Sarah Bence,
Verywell Health,
30 Sep. 2025
-
His main goal behind joining Interesting Engineering is to learn more about how the recent technological advancements are helping human beings on both societal and individual levels in their daily lives.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Instead, Reeves became Estragon, the more simplistic and long-suffering of the duo, while Winter tackled Vladimir, the more commanding and verbose character.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Since the late 90s, Jungen has forged a name for himself internationally through his commanding sculptural practice.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
An army of around 200 volunteers from the church and several charities were making food, picking up trash, guiding guests and MC'ing dance showcases, said Mary Cantrell, who has been a key organizer since 1993.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Most of the footage was filmed by astronauts, with Wang’s perspective guiding the story.—
Marcelo Cajueiro,
Variety,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Government leaders and local experts on transit agree one-way streets, which were intended to make travel faster for commuters heading in and out of downtown, present safety concerns.—
Leo Bertucci,
Louisville Courier Journal,
5 Oct. 2025
-
That number was down to 39 percent heading into the Florida game and plummeted to 20 percent as of Saturday evening.—
Grace Raynor,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The episode and accompanying fashion show were in support of Kelce’s charity, 87 and Running, which empowers disadvantaged youth by providing resources and support to their communities in the areas of education, business, athletics, STEM, and the arts.—
Meredith Wilshere,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
-
The accompanying video counts down from 2025 to 1995 with a flip-book of performance footage from throughout the years, as well as a compilation of the different fonts used to spell out the band’s name before tossing to a throwback series of shots of the five men from their earliest days together.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In March 2023, Ottawa renewed the mandate, extending the mission through April 2026.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
-
The deadlock in Congress stems from conflicting spending plans, with Republicans pushing for a clean bill, while Democrats have conditioned their support on extending Affordable Care Act subsidies.—
Brendan Rascius,
Miami Herald,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Our staff is showing a lot of faith in the New York Rangers this season.—
Sean Gentille,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Flagg finished the game with 10 points, six rebounds and three assists, showing his stat-stuffing potential while only playing the first half.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Brady serves as the lead color commentator and NFL analyst, while Gronkowski is a studio analyst and full-time member of the Fox NFL Sunday pregame show crew.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Charges against the two administrators reduced to misdemeanors Both served in administrative director roles in 2022 when Miller was employed as the lead teacher in one of the rooms set aside for care of infants under the age of 1 at the preschool/child care business.—
Jim Riccioli,
jsonline.com,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Leading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leading. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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