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.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of leads
Ashley Wu, New York Times, 18 May 2026
Walking across shiny, immaculately clean floors into the still room, a tour leads visitors to a room with the immense structures the Bakers use to make their special brand of whiskey.
—Emily M. Olson, Hartford Courant, 17 May 2026
Meza Calles leads walks at Rancho La Puerta to teach guests about Kuuchamaa.
—Julie Watson, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2026
For CEOs, CHROs, and transformation leads wrestling with AI disruption, hybrid work, and unrelenting competition, The Octopus Organization is stimulating reading.
—Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
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
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
Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 16 May 2026
That’s because of the types of tasks that AI agents are able to perform, from writing code at the level of a junior developer to evaluating sales leads.
—Victor Swezey, Fortune, 16 May 2026
The images feature two male leads, Mason McKenrick and Einar Andri, who project a more-relaxed aesthetic for the brand.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 15 May 2026
The second type never lacks leads.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
Hamaguchi looked visibly moved as his leads, Virginie Efira and Okamoto Tao, wiped away tears of their own.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 15 May 2026
Before a crowd of 38,723, the first home sellout for the White Sox this season, the Cubs went ahead to stay after wasting leads of 1-0 and 4-1.
—CBS News, 15 May 2026
Speaking with Fox News' Jonathan Hunt Monday, Nanos said investigators were still working with the labs and following up on leads.
—Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2026
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
Verb
Competitive districts — where a candidate leads a challenger by fewer than 10 percentage points — are increasingly rare.
—Ashley Wu, New York Times, 18 May 2026
Walking across shiny, immaculately clean floors into the still room, a tour leads visitors to a room with the immense structures the Bakers use to make their special brand of whiskey.
—Emily M. Olson, Hartford Courant, 17 May 2026
Meza Calles leads walks at Rancho La Puerta to teach guests about Kuuchamaa.
—Julie Watson, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2026
For CEOs, CHROs, and transformation leads wrestling with AI disruption, hybrid work, and unrelenting competition, The Octopus Organization is stimulating reading.
—Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
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
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
Noun
Garrett has not been found, and there have been no solid leads in his case, his family said.
—Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 16 May 2026
That’s because of the types of tasks that AI agents are able to perform, from writing code at the level of a junior developer to evaluating sales leads.
—Victor Swezey, Fortune, 16 May 2026
The images feature two male leads, Mason McKenrick and Einar Andri, who project a more-relaxed aesthetic for the brand.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 15 May 2026
The second type never lacks leads.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
Hamaguchi looked visibly moved as his leads, Virginie Efira and Okamoto Tao, wiped away tears of their own.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 15 May 2026
Before a crowd of 38,723, the first home sellout for the White Sox this season, the Cubs went ahead to stay after wasting leads of 1-0 and 4-1.
—CBS News, 15 May 2026
Speaking with Fox News' Jonathan Hunt Monday, Nanos said investigators were still working with the labs and following up on leads.
—Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2026
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
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
-
Xabi Alonso has been exposed to far too much elite football wisdom to be labelled a mere Guardiola disciple, but his style of play offers the path to a positive form of continuity while his status in the game commands far greater respect than any BlueCo hire since Mauricio Pochettino.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
His furniture regularly commands staggering prices at auction houses like Christie’s and Sotheby’s, while his architectural works are increasingly gaining recognition as some of the most important examples of postwar Italian modernism.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
The caption accompanies a nine-slide photo gallery capturing Van Der Beek with their six children.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
13 May 2026
-
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
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 18 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
