leading off

verb

present participle of lead off
as in beginning
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 off Tanner Scott allowed a two-strike homer to Garrett Mitchell leading off the sixth as Milwaukee went ahead 5-4. — ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026 Steven Kwan had singled leading off the fourth ahead of Ramírez’s sixth postseason homer, which went just over the wall near the right-field line. — Joe Reedy, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026 Jake Bauers singled leading off the sixth and went to third on Cooper Pratt’s ground-rule double before scoring on Frelick’s sacrifice fly. — Greg Beacham, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026 After Phillies starter Jesús Luzardo threw a nine-pitch, 1-2-3 first inning, Dubón started a rally by leading off the second inning with a double into the corner in left field. — Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 29 Sep. 2026 Tommy White homered for the A's leading off the third, a 347-footer to the left-field corner. — CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leading off
  1. beginning
  2. commencing
  3. starting
  4. getting off
  5. opening
Verb
  • For Poppens, who has spent more than a decade navigating the challenges of MS, the possibility of an incorrect diagnosis underscores the importance of getting answers before beginning long-term treatment.
    — Jasmine Arenas, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The Quebecois math rock duo will get right back on the road come March, beginning with their first-ever Australian stops.
    — Walden Green, Pitchfork, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of beginning
Verb
  • Holmes was convicted of fraud in 2018 and sentenced to just over 11 years in federal prison, commencing in May 2023.
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The film will shoot on location at the heart of Pendle in Lancashire, with principal photography commencing end of September.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of commencing
Verb
  • Any function whose work can be pointed at a proper model of its underlying business, instead of at a general-purpose language model, is starting to compound the same way Anthropic’s engineering did a year ago.
    — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Charged with home invasion at 16, he was sentenced to eight years in prison as an adult, starting his sentence at age 17.
    — Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of starting
Verb
  • The Commanders allowed the clock to run out in overtime after getting the ball into field goal range inside the New York 30 without even getting off a kick.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Not everybody getting off the ride, stumbling to see their picture on the wall, agrees that the thrills were worth the chills.
    — Josh Brown,Sean Russo, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of getting off
Verb
  • Velly Pizza is also opening a second location in the Natomas area.
    — Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Among the recommendations is a change that would change the village’s single-family residential districts to neighborhood residential districts, potentially opening them up to multi-unit housing.
    — Cam'ron Hardy, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of opening

Browse Nearby Words

leading men
leading off
leading on
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Cite this Entry

“Leading off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leading%20off. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

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