1
as in steers
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in commands
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
4
5
as in guides
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
1
as in principals
the person who has the most important role in a play, movie, or TV show
the actor's career has really taken off since he became the lead in that prime-time drama
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in distances
the space or amount of space between two points, lines, surfaces, or objects
the runner maintained a lead of several meters all the way around the track
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in tips
a piece of advice or useful information especially from an expert
my sister got a lead on the job opening from her neighbor, who is the human resources director for the company
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in clues
a slight or indirect pointing to something (as a solution or explanation)
the police are now working on several leads generated by the evidence gathered at the crime scene
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of leads
Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 10 May 2026
The Eagles have won over 75 percent of their faceoffs this season and faceoff specialist Kevin Ratzlaff leads the group with a win percentage of 77 percent.
—Michael Huntley, Oc Register, 10 May 2026
Pedro Bettencourt leads Escola de Preparação Integral de Futebol (EPIF), one of Cape Verde's most prestigious youth soccer academies.
—Ricci Shryock, NPR, 10 May 2026
Alyssa Thomas leads the Phoenix Mercury (1-0) into a matchup with the Golden State Valkyries (1-0) after putting up 20 points in a 99-66 win over the Aces.
—Data Skrive, New York Times, 10 May 2026
Like a teacher guiding a child, the work leads the eye step-by-step from the lower right to the upper left.
—Sebastian Smee, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
From superhero to child killer to intergalactic enforcer, Vader's arc leads him to want to rule the galaxy with his son by his side, though Luke doesn't turn like his father when given the chance.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 3 May 2026
Keith leads us toward this richer amplitude.
—Glenn Adamson, Artforum, 2 May 2026
Adam Scott leads the cast, which includes Peter Coonan, David Wilmot and Mallory Adams.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 2 May 2026
Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 9 May 2026
The biggest issues for the Mets are consistent offensive production and a bullpen that isn’t constructed to protect leads.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 8 May 2026
Excavation at a South Elgin home Thursday turned up no human remains or investigative leads connected to the 2016 Kianna Galvin missing person case, the Kane County state’s attorney’s office said Friday.
—Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026
However, the search yielded no remains or further leads in the investigation, South Elgin police said.
—Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 8 May 2026
In the first season, Morgan’s bond with Noah’s brother Sasha (Timothy Simons) was so delightful and sparky that many wondered if the leads’ siblings were bound for their own relationship.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 8 May 2026
Meanwhile, the co-leads of Google DeepMind’s earlier chip-design system, AlphaChip, have launched a startup called Ricursive Intelligence to use AI to design AI chips.
—Matthew Hutson, IEEE Spectrum, 7 May 2026
Without him, the bullpen has blown four ninth-inning leads.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 2 May 2026
This isn’t some Altman film with 25 characters and no clear leads.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 2 May 2026
Verb
After a 23-43 season in his first season, Jackson leads the Warriors to back-to-back playoff appearances with 47 and 51 wins but was fired amid a backdrop of friction with management (including team advisor Jerry West) and fostering a poor work environment.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 10 May 2026
The Eagles have won over 75 percent of their faceoffs this season and faceoff specialist Kevin Ratzlaff leads the group with a win percentage of 77 percent.
—Michael Huntley, Oc Register, 10 May 2026
Pedro Bettencourt leads Escola de Preparação Integral de Futebol (EPIF), one of Cape Verde's most prestigious youth soccer academies.
—Ricci Shryock, NPR, 10 May 2026
Alyssa Thomas leads the Phoenix Mercury (1-0) into a matchup with the Golden State Valkyries (1-0) after putting up 20 points in a 99-66 win over the Aces.
—Data Skrive, New York Times, 10 May 2026
Like a teacher guiding a child, the work leads the eye step-by-step from the lower right to the upper left.
—Sebastian Smee, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
From superhero to child killer to intergalactic enforcer, Vader's arc leads him to want to rule the galaxy with his son by his side, though Luke doesn't turn like his father when given the chance.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 3 May 2026
Keith leads us toward this richer amplitude.
—Glenn Adamson, Artforum, 2 May 2026
Adam Scott leads the cast, which includes Peter Coonan, David Wilmot and Mallory Adams.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 2 May 2026
Noun
The Rockies blew leads of 6-0 and 7-2, but rallied to beat the Phillies 9-7 in 11 innings on Friday night at Citizens Bank Park.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 9 May 2026
The biggest issues for the Mets are consistent offensive production and a bullpen that isn’t constructed to protect leads.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 8 May 2026
Excavation at a South Elgin home Thursday turned up no human remains or investigative leads connected to the 2016 Kianna Galvin missing person case, the Kane County state’s attorney’s office said Friday.
—Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026
However, the search yielded no remains or further leads in the investigation, South Elgin police said.
—Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 8 May 2026
In the first season, Morgan’s bond with Noah’s brother Sasha (Timothy Simons) was so delightful and sparky that many wondered if the leads’ siblings were bound for their own relationship.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 8 May 2026
Meanwhile, the co-leads of Google DeepMind’s earlier chip-design system, AlphaChip, have launched a startup called Ricursive Intelligence to use AI to design AI chips.
—Matthew Hutson, IEEE Spectrum, 7 May 2026
Without him, the bullpen has blown four ninth-inning leads.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 2 May 2026
This isn’t some Altman film with 25 characters and no clear leads.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 2 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leads
Verb
-
Gomez has been outspoken about the tactics of her colleague Carr, who steers the agency and influences the direction of the FCC’s regulatory Media Bureau.—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
-
Bukayo Saka steers Arsenal in-front vs Atletico!—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Weekend nights, Cleotilde Juárez Ramírez commands this patch of sidewalk, wielding a comal the size of a satellite dish over a brazier.—
Ligaya Mishan,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
-
Leverage in the Shadows Beyond private credit, the broader non-bank financial sector carries elevated leverage that commands the Fed’s attention.—
Mayra Rodriguez Valladares,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
From the beginning, the emphasis centered on preparation, consistency, and respect for the emotional complexity that accompanies divorce and custody matters.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
-
Creams and lotions can help ease the itching that accompanies the rash, and prompt medical attention reduces the chance of complications like postherpetic neuralgia or vision problems.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
And that litigative trail extends to Davis, who is currently navigating personal bankruptcy tied to the fallout over his previous venture, BeautyKind.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
12 May 2026
-
The headline pitch for these accounts is that they’ll be seeded with a one-time $1,000 government contribution for children born from 2025 through 2028, unless Congress extends the government donation.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Among other damage, the oil can essentially suffocate mangrove trees, interfere with hawksbill turtles’ and green sea turtles’ sense of smell that guides their navigation, and prevent fish from reproducing.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
14 May 2026
-
Sal Rodriguez, the opinion editor for the Southern California News Group’s 11 newspapers, heads the editorial board and guides our stances on public policy and political matters.—
Teagan Davidge,
Daily News,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
With just state money at the current funding level, according to Wednesday’s presentation, CMS could only afford 89% of its teachers, 46% of its assistant principals, 60% of its instructional support positions and 58% of its clerical and custodial staff.—
Mary Ramsey,
Charlotte Observer,
14 May 2026
-
Most schools with under 250 students will also lose funding for assistant principals.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Faster delivery could become the new expectation, especially for short distances.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2026
-
Specifically, the Pentagon is worried about the huge distances involved in the Pacific, and near-peer defensive capabilities like anti-access/area denial should a conflict erupt.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
Meanwhile, investigators and prosecutors handling millions of child exploitation tips each year remain overwhelmed and underfunded.—
Maureen Flatley,
Boston Herald,
15 May 2026
-
Read on for all the insider tips on where to eat, stay, and play on Long Beach Island to kick off your own lifetime of summer returns.—
Jessica Chapel,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Leads.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leads. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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