Synonyms of leads

leads 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of lead

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

• steers
• guides
• accompanies
• directs
• shows
• conducts
• ushers
• routes
• precedes
• pilots
• escorts
• marshals
• sees
• manages
• attends
• controls
• chaperones
• convoys

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• follows
• trails
• tails
• shadows
• dogs
• hounds
• tailgates

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

• commands
• heads
• captains
• spearheads
• oversees
• bosses
• directs
• dominates
• manages
• controls
• supervises
• governs
• regulates
• handles
• runs
• superintends

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• follows
• serves
• yields (to)
• submits (to)
• obeys
• complies (with)
• defers (to)
• bows (to)

3

as in accompanies

to be at the front of

the local high school's marching band led the parade

Synonyms & Similar Words

• accompanies
• precedes
• announces
• attends
• heads
• escorts
• heralds
• ushers

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ends
• stops
• concludes
• terminates
• finishes
• follows
• tails
• trails
• dogs
• tailgates

4

as in extends

to be positioned along a certain course or in a certain direction

this old road leads to an abandoned quarry

Synonyms & Similar Words

• extends
• goes
• runs
• lies
• heads
• follows
• crosses
• passes
• bears
• spans
• cuts
• courses
• traverses

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

• guides
• accompanies
• shows
• steers
• coaches
• informs
• teaches
• counsels
• mentors
• walks through
• tutors
• shepherds
• pilots
• escorts
• trains
• supervises
• directs
• engineers
• sees
• sways
• attends
• oversees
• instructs
• enlightens
• fosters
• schools
• superintends
• convoys
• inculcates
• nurtures
• drills
• cultivates
• briefs
• indoctrinates
• chaperones
• godfathers
• squires

leads

2 of 2

noun

plural of lead

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

• principals
• stars
• headliners
• leading men
• leading ladies
• superstars
• star turns
• starlets
• ingenues
• costars
• coprincipals

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• extras
• supernumeraries

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

• distances
• removes
• stretches
• widths
• lengths
• spacings
• heights
• spreads
• ways
• spaces
• areas
• rises
• reaches
• throws
• sweeps
• falls
• depths
• extensions
• volumes
• drops
• altitudes
• casts
• flights
• ranges
• hauls
• clearances
• shots
• breadths
• berths
• scopes
• extents

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

• tips
• advice
• recommendations
• instructions
• suggestions
• pointers
• hints
• signs
• signals
• feedback
• directions
• guidance
• solutions
• observations
• prompts
• clues
• answers
• assistances
• counsel
• warnings
• reminders
• advisements
• tip-offs
• briefs
• cautions
• urgings
• telltales

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

• clues
• indications
• cues
• hints
• suggestions
• signs
• ideas
• intimations
• inklings
• suspicions
• glimpses
• mentions
• implications
• winds
• signals
• evidences
• whiffs
• tips
• prompts
• inferences
• keys
• breaths
• feelings
• glimmers
• scents
• inspirations
• flickers
• hunches
• notions
• allusions
• insinuations
• pointers
• symptoms
• guideposts
• intuitions
• nods
• tokens
• overtones
• assistances
• winks
• innuendos
• presages
• marks
• premonitions
• denotations
• harbingers
• telltales
• presentiments
• tip-offs
• omens
• forebodings
• portents
• foretastes
• foreshadowers
• prefigurements
• auguries

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• solutions
• answers

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of leads

Verb

Marouli also leads the wine tastings in the dining room Epicora. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026

His top targets have been mammoth tight end Tyler Warren, who leads the team in catches and receiving TDs, and field-stretching wideout Josh Downs. — Elise Devlin, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2026

That includes edge rusher Marquise Lightfoot, who leads the team with five sacks but left midway through the Clemson game with injury and did not return. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026

Tight end Kari Ashley caught a 13-yard touchdown and finished with 108 yards, and now leads all FBS tight ends with 374 receiving yards, per StatMuse. — Steven Johnson. Story Produced With Ai Assistance, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Oct. 2026

That’s the view of Wang, who is well versed in crypto, and currently leads an organization called the Advanced AI Society. — Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026

The Pass the Salt leads — Mosleh, Wear, Adam Fox and Nathaniel Vass — will return for the second season, as will Valeh Ashraf, Moheb Jindran and Babak Haleky. — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026

Young now leads the league in passing yards (1,268), completions of over 25 yards (13) and yards under pressure (411), among other categories, according to Next Gen Stats. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 5 Oct. 2026

As Arkansas families navigate a new education landscape, asking the right questions can help ensure that choice leads not just to change, but to growth, stability, and opportunity for the students who matter most. — Arkansas Online, 28 Sep. 2026

Noun

Initial leads were limited to minor damage at the front door and missing items from the house, according to police. — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Oct. 2026

Officers canvassed the neighborhood and were following leads in the investigation, a spokesperson said Thursday. — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 1 Oct. 2026

Search results from the FACESNXT database are supposed to be treated strictly as investigative leads for officers to pursue and do not on their own constitute probable cause for an arrest, according to terms of use for the system. — Kate Payne, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026

Amy Williams’ production design looks as expensive as the leads, and composer Volker Bertelmann — even more ubiquitous than Hathaway in the movies this year — throws in some zithery Bernard Herrmann stylings. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026

There was smoothness and gliding, and Bruno saw Guillermo attempting heel leads. — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2026

Perhaps the sales team needs more leads, better incentives or training. — Janita Pannu, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026

Not just to service, Jordan, Layla and Coop storylines, but to be legitimate new leads, the new generation. — Ronda Racha Penrice, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2026

Detectives investigating the case have interviewed as many as 15 people, collected forensic evidence and followed numerous leads, police said in a news release. — Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 26 Sep. 2026