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
Jeff Spry, Space.com, 31 May 2026
Sabalenka leads 2-1 in career meetings with Osaka, who has reached the fourth round in Paris for the first time.
—ABC News, 31 May 2026
That’s a decent rate for a bottom-sixer, not someone who typically leads his team in points.
—Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 31 May 2026
Sunday's race marks the fourth win of the season, 23rd career IndyCar win and second Detroit Grand Prix victory (2023) for Palou, who leads the championship points standings.
—Matt Finkel, CBS News, 31 May 2026
Jordan Smith leads the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth after firing back-to-back rounds of 5-under 65 to reach 10-under through 36 holes.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 May 2026
Simplify plans, and one clear action leads progress.
—Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 30 May 2026
The opportunities should be there for San Diego on Sunday, with the attack leaning on Brazil’s Dudinha, who leads the team with four goals and four assists.
—Fernando Ramirez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2026
Gaspar leads in campaign contributions, followed by Worth Girvan.
—Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2026
Tim Meehan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2026
Agoura’s first-year baseball coach Adam Goldstein probably wasn’t so jovial when his Chargers were blowing leads in the seventh inning this spring.
—Tarek Fattal, Daily News, 29 May 2026
The streamer confirmed the news in a social post, which flashed peeks of a photo shoot with the show’s four leads.
—Kenneal Patterson, Vanity Fair, 29 May 2026
The win did not come easily, as the Cubs blew leads of 3-0 and 4-3 before routing the Pirates.
—Sahadev Sharma, New York Times, 28 May 2026
Many businesses spend heavily on Google Ads only to find that the clicks don't translate into enough leads, customers, or revenue.
—Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 28 May 2026
But the most buzzworthy tidbit of information proved to be the almost 10-year age gap between the two leads.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 28 May 2026
Manhunt continues Police have significant resources deployed in the Puna district, following up on leads, Mahuna said.
—Amanda Musa, CNN Money, 28 May 2026
Best actress honors were also shared, between French actress Virginie Efira and Japan’s Tao Okamoto, who play the leads in Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s emotional drama All of a Sudden.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 23 May 2026
Verb
This leads him to a radio station in Central Mexico, where the cosmic transmission is being masked by its own signal.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 31 May 2026
Sabalenka leads 2-1 in career meetings with Osaka, who has reached the fourth round in Paris for the first time.
—ABC News, 31 May 2026
That’s a decent rate for a bottom-sixer, not someone who typically leads his team in points.
—Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 31 May 2026
Sunday's race marks the fourth win of the season, 23rd career IndyCar win and second Detroit Grand Prix victory (2023) for Palou, who leads the championship points standings.
—Matt Finkel, CBS News, 31 May 2026
Jordan Smith leads the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth after firing back-to-back rounds of 5-under 65 to reach 10-under through 36 holes.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 May 2026
Simplify plans, and one clear action leads progress.
—Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 30 May 2026
The opportunities should be there for San Diego on Sunday, with the attack leaning on Brazil’s Dudinha, who leads the team with four goals and four assists.
—Fernando Ramirez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2026
Gaspar leads in campaign contributions, followed by Worth Girvan.
—Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2026
Noun
Point Loma jumped out to leads of 6-0, 9-2 and 11-3 as Wickersham had three kills and a stuff block early on.
—Tim Meehan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2026
Agoura’s first-year baseball coach Adam Goldstein probably wasn’t so jovial when his Chargers were blowing leads in the seventh inning this spring.
—Tarek Fattal, Daily News, 29 May 2026
The streamer confirmed the news in a social post, which flashed peeks of a photo shoot with the show’s four leads.
—Kenneal Patterson, Vanity Fair, 29 May 2026
The win did not come easily, as the Cubs blew leads of 3-0 and 4-3 before routing the Pirates.
—Sahadev Sharma, New York Times, 28 May 2026
Many businesses spend heavily on Google Ads only to find that the clicks don't translate into enough leads, customers, or revenue.
—Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 28 May 2026
But the most buzzworthy tidbit of information proved to be the almost 10-year age gap between the two leads.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 28 May 2026
Manhunt continues Police have significant resources deployed in the Puna district, following up on leads, Mahuna said.
—Amanda Musa, CNN Money, 28 May 2026
Best actress honors were also shared, between French actress Virginie Efira and Japan’s Tao Okamoto, who play the leads in Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s emotional drama All of a Sudden.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 23 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leads
Verb
-
Those kinds of partnerships, where Delta steers customers to a brand and gets a cut of the business, explain why the airline chose Amazon over Starlink as the provider for its in-flight services, to Elon Musk’s highly vocal irritation.—
Phil Wahba,
Fortune,
30 May 2026
-
Today’s audiences look for a more personalized movie experience that festivals can provide, which also steers them in the direction of repertory cinema.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
The researchers call the new platform the Insect Synergy Circuit (ISC), a system designed to respond to an insect’s physiological state instead of merely issuing movement commands.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
30 May 2026
-
The South Caucasus rarely commands attention until war breaks out, pipelines are threatened, or a great power expands its footprint.—
Wesley Alexander Hill,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Big props also to editor Greg Ng, VFX supervisor Edward Douglas and the appropriate electronic score from Parsons and Edo van Breeman that accompanies this bizarro land full of constant noises that offer clues for what lies within these walls and behind these doors — or not.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
27 May 2026
-
Tahrir al-Khatib said the joy that accompanies Eid has been silenced in Gaza.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
The concession extends through four different eco-zones and happens to be prime rhino and big cat real estate.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 June 2026
-
The order extends to books and materials on sale at the gift stores.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Its infrared seeker locks onto a target before launch and guides itself to impact without further operator control.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
26 May 2026
-
By the 31st minute, Andrew guides Sudeikis and his family to the back near the other celebrities.—
Melanie Anzidei,
New York Times,
26 May 2026
Noun
-
Then, on Monday night, the district appeared to do an about-face on its initial directions via an email to principals.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
3 June 2026
-
The principals of Midsummer bear more than a passing resemblance to the reality TV casts of the 21st century.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
To be more precise, Erdős conjectured that the number of unit distances would be n^(1+o(1)).—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
1 June 2026
-
The system operates in layers, with different agents monitoring different distances and threat levels.—
Matt Viser,
The Atlantic,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
Read More TopicsWedding Inspiration Vogue Weddings An all-access invitation to the exceptional and inspirational, plus planning tips and advice.—
Alexandra Macon,
Vogue,
4 June 2026
-
Expect to see even tinier dots and minuscule French tips atop jelly polishes in summery shades like fuchsia and blood orange.—
Annie Blay-Tettey,
Allure,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Leads.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leads. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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