LEADS OFF Synonyms: 59 Similar and Opposite Words

leads off

verb

present tense third-person singular of lead off

as in begins

to take the first step in (a process or course of action) plans to lead off the news conference with a prepared statement

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Example Sentences

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Recent Examples of leads off Deist leads off, followed by Battista and Tucker, with Devin Wheaton at cleanup. —

Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 12 May 2026 Vestal leads off with a single. —

Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 6 Mar. 2026 After pitchers, catchers and several position players completed their physicals Wednesday, no storyline from the opening day of camp carried more weight than the one that leads off our first takeaways report from Yankees spring training. —

Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026 As usual, the list of evils leads off with a medical procedure that is never directly condemned in the Bible — and is arguably even sanctioned in Jewish texts when a pregnancy threatens a woman’s health. —

Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Feb. 2026 Every Wednesday, Reid leads off the weekly news conference. —

Sam McDowell 18, Kansas City Star, 18 Dec. 2025 Alex Bregman #2 of the Boston Red Sox leads off second base during the first inning of a game against the New York Yankees on September 14, 2025 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. —

Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025 Jarren Duran, who typically leads off and who hasn’t batted lower than sixth in the order all season, will bat eighth. —

Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 16 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for leads off

Verb

Each aircraft launches autonomously, carries out reconnaissance and target acquisition tasks, then returns to the vehicle or installation for capture and recharging before the next sortie begins.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 15 June 2026
What begins as a survival nightmare slowly transforms into something far more disturbing as fractured memories, conflicting realities, and hidden truths force Ann to confront the possibility that the greatest threat may not be lurking in the woods at all, but buried deep within her own psyche.

— Zac Ntim, Deadline, 15 June 2026