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
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Recent Examples of leadoff
Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2026
CBS News, 6 May 2026
Chase Meidroth hit his second homer leading off the seventh against Sam Bachman to get Chicago within 4-3.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 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
Busch won it when his grounder up the middle leading off the 10th against Sam Moll (1-2) handcuffed shortstop Elly De La Cruz.
—CBS News, 6 May 2026
Chase Meidroth hit his second homer leading off the seventh against Sam Bachman to get Chicago within 4-3.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for leadoff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leadoff
Adjective
-
Romo’s home runs were the first of the season by a Sox catcher.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
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And while this is the king's first visit to his son's new home country since the rift, the four-day work trip isn't a personal one.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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And of course Mike Brown pulled Mitchell Robinson, who missed four straight free throws when the 76ers began intentionally fouling him in the first quarter, only to continue extending the lead despite the Sixers’ attempts at stifling his rotation.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
5 May 2026
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Black voters who feared losing representation in Congress opposed that request and argued the justices should instead hold onto their April 29 ruling until after the election because voting in the primary had already begun.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
5 May 2026
Adjective
-
An initial round of peace talks was held in the capital of Islamabad last month.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
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The bill also retains its enforcement division capable of making arrests, despite initial DFL reservations.—
Alex Derosier,
Twin Cities,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Looking ahead, Schultz told investors that in fiscal 2027, the company will be commencing a program to raise Hibbett’s sales productivity by further optimizing its store footprint.—
Stephen Garner,
Footwear News,
7 May 2026
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Disavowed had been on the runway since at least last July when casting commenced for the lead.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
6 May 2026
Adjective
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The 26-year-old San Diego native previously joined SDFC as a Stage 1 selection in the 2024 MLS re-entry draft and was part of the club’s inaugural-season roster last year.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
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The inaugural Rock Star Mom honoree was Giselli Veloz, senior program manager at LIFT-NY.—
Lisa Lockwood,
Footwear News,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Carolyn Hax started her Washington Post advice column in 1997, after five years on the Style desk and none as a therapist.—
Carolyn Hax,
Washington Post,
15 May 2026
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Musk left OpenAI’s board in 2018, and five years later started xAI as a competitor, before merging that business with SpaceX in February.—
Ashley Capoot,
CNBC,
2 May 2026
Adjective
-
Either would be final favorite as Atletico and Arsenal both seek their maiden crown.—
Greg Cote
May 3,
Miami Herald,
3 May 2026
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Golden Tempo won his first two races this past winter at the Fair Grounds, a maiden race and the Lecomte Stakes.—
Jay Posner,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
Adjective
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But the filmmaker’s imagination transfigures personal history into something not of this world, wholly original, and uniquely demented.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
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In the video, published in 2024 and noted in the lawsuit, James references the original sketch work for Neytiri.—
Alexandra Del Rosario,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Leadoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leadoff. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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