leadoff 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of leadoffnext
as in first
coming before all others in time or order the leadoff batter

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

lead off

2 of 2

verb

ˈlēd- How to pronounce lead off (audio)
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 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 leadoff
Adjective
Those four all ranked among the top 40 in baseball in non-leadoff plate appearances with the bases empty last season. — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2026
Verb
Then, leading off the seventh inning, the Mets’ José Reyes hit a chopper Astros shortstop Adam Everett tried unsuccessfully to barehand — an infield single. — Stephen J. Nesbitt, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026 Rafael Devers, though, singled to center to lead off the fourth for the Giants’ first hit, then Adames hammered a 97 mph Williams fastball over the right-center field wall for his 20th home run of the season and 200th of his career. — Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for leadoff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leadoff
  1. first
  2. begin
  3. initial
  4. commence
  5. inaugural
  6. start
  7. maiden
  8. set about
Adjective
  • Announced at the Hot Chips conference, the processor is the first dual-architecture mainframe chip from IBM and is being developed for future IBM Z and LinuxONE systems.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Nvidia said the first computing racks built on technology from its $20 billion Groq deal, the Groq 3 LPX, will be operational later this year, with Nebius as the launch customer.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of first
Verb
  • The administration did cripple Iran's nuclear program in 2025 with bombing strikes on various facilities, but since this war began, there's been no effective action taken against its nuclear program.
    — Dana Taylor, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Since Tiffany’s attacks began, Crowley has moved in Hong’s general direction, emphasizing his requirements—using exclusively renewable energy to power new data centers, building them with union labor—for developers to receive the tax breaks.
    — Dan Kaufman, New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of begin
Adjective
  • Yoshikazu Tsuno | Afp | Getty Images Japan's startup and initial-public offering scenes may get a boost from a new trading platform that will help unlisted companies raise capital.
    — Justina Lee, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The initial offering will include more than 200 titles across popular genres including romance, billionaire romance, fantasy and family drama, with a wide selection of titles available with Indonesian dubbing and subtitles.
    — Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of initial
Verb
  • The game commenced with four unanswered scores from Jenks and sloppy play from Southlake Carroll that included a handful of early penalties, messy substitutions and a lack of rhythm.
    — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Cloud service agreements totaled $29 billion, with data center leases not commenced of $25 billion, equity investments of $25 billion, and capital expenditures of $8 billion.
    — Zev Fima, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of commence
Adjective
  • The inaugural edition took place in India, and selected a crop of businesses focusing on India’s priority health domains like oncology, chronic disease management and preventive care.
    — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The Milwaukee Mile in West Allis, Wisconsin, renowned as the world’s oldest major speedway, hosted its inaugural automobile race.
    — USA Today, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of inaugural
Verb
  • If the plans to destroy the theater are followed through, the process will, ironically, have to start with an excavation.
    — Julia Buckley, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
  • One of President Vladimir Putin’s key goals in starting a war with Russia’s neighbor in February 2022 was to place Kyiv in Moscow’s orbit.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of start
Adjective
  • The 21-year-old, who is competing in his maiden Grand Tour, won comfortably in Roquetes, delivered to the line by his deluxe teammates Wout van Aert and Christophe Laporte.
    — Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • All eyes were on Brooks’ maiden voyage on his first arena tour in a decade.
    — Heather Bushman, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of maiden
Verb
  • Feeling like finding this 950-square-foot apartment was kismet, Miranda-Martin signed the lease and set about creating a sophisticated and color-saturated sanctuary.
    — Marissa Gluck, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026
  • As the team set about their usual high-performance recovery routines, blending active recovery, massages and refueling, a group of USMNT players partook in a different form of relaxation altogether.
    — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 25 June 2026
Definition of set about

Browse Nearby Words

leadmen
leadoff
lead off
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Cite this Entry

“Leadoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leadoff. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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