as in first
coming before all others in time or order
the leadoff batter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Recent Examples of leadoff
Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2026
Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2026
Sandlin, acquired in an offseason trade with the Boston Red Sox, and reliever Brandon Eisert combined to retire 21 straight before Kody Clemens homered against Eisert leading off the eighth.
—Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for 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
Jo Adell led off with a double and took third on a one-out wild pitch.
—Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2026
Sandlin, acquired in an offseason trade with the Boston Red Sox, and reliever Brandon Eisert combined to retire 21 straight before Kody Clemens homered against Eisert leading off the eighth.
—Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for leadoff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leadoff
Adjective
-
With first pitch temperatures a beautiful 82 degrees, the ball was primed to carry and early on the Red Sox took full advantage.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
27 May 2026
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The backstory Opened in 1970 as the first Four Seasons outside Canada, this Park Lane address remains one of the brand’s most significant properties.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
The Luce is priced at around 550,000 euros, (roughly $640,000), with customer deliveries scheduled to begin from the fourth quarter of the year.—
Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
26 May 2026
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The backstory The story begins with the acclaimed golf course Cape Kidnappers, built by the American Robertson family in 2004; the luxury hotel followed in 2007, joining the Robertsons' other lodges Kauri Cliffs in Matauri Bay and Matakauri in Queenstown.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
26 May 2026
Adjective
-
Before releasing his initial budget in April, the mayor urged the council not to make significant cuts to homelessness, contending that could reverse notable progress the city has made on the issue.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 May 2026
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However, if a company lacks substance and constantly requires cash, the euphoria can be short-lived, particularly after the lockup expires and initial investors begin to exit.—
David Capablanca,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Usyk tried to swarm once the action commenced.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
-
The LPs also commenced his empathetic association with bassist Bob Cranshaw, who appeared on Rollins’ albums for the next half-century.—
Chris Morris,
Variety,
26 May 2026
Adjective
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Marcus Ingvartsen has become one of the league’s most efficient finishers, Anders Dreyer remains the club’s creative pulse and Mikey Varas’ team still plays with the possession-heavy ambition that caught everyone by surprise in its inaugural season.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 May 2026
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Being a part of the inaugural season with this team is really special.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
August 23 – September 22 A group plan may start working better once someone turns the intention into an actual system.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
23 May 2026
-
The Bruins, though, were just getting started.—
Liana Handler,
Los Angeles Times,
23 May 2026
Adjective
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Glasner consistently railed against that tag, questioning how a team playing in its maiden European campaign could be seen that way.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
-
According to the company, the vessel has already begun its maiden commercial voyage from Shanghai, China.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
27 May 2026
Adjective
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The original series took off in popularity during season 5 in 2019, turning cast members such as Higgins, Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury into household names.—
Carolyn Burt,
Oc Register,
29 May 2026
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In which a writer (Oscar Isaac) helps a mob boss steal the original handwritten manuscript of Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy.—
Emily Temple,
Literary Hub,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Leadoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leadoff. Accessed 29 May. 2026.
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