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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Recent Examples of leads off
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
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
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As if the local deer population had enough to worry about as the bow hunting season begins, now a disease is spreading between them.—
Kirsten Fiscus,
Nashville Tennessean,
5 Oct. 2025
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This 84-mile loop begins and ends in Taos and traverses the high alpine desert of northern New Mexico and several mountain towns, including Angel Fire, Eagle Nest, Questa, and Red River.—
Taryn White,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Of course, things will continue to change as non-conference play mostly wraps up and the conference slate commences in earnest in the next couple of weeks.—
Tom Layberger,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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There’s now just one last day of preseason games before the NFL commences its regular season.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
23 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Hydroplaning happens when a vehicle starts sliding uncontrollably on wet roads.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
4 Oct. 2025
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Hydroplaning is when a vehicle starts uncontrollably sliding on wet roads.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Each recommendation appears directly within the chat, and tapping a selection instantly opens the Spotify app for seamless listening.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Oct. 2025
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The lawsuit opens a new front in the legal battles the White House is waging against state and local officials, coming just hours after a federal judge blocked a similar deployment of the guard to Portland, Oregon.—
Dakin Andone,
CNN Money,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Leads off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leads%20off. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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