as in hops
to propel oneself upward or forward into the air
the outfielder leaped into the air to catch the ball before it went over the fence
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of leaps
Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 13 Feb. 2026
Over the course of the past few decades, as technology has continued to evolve in leaps and bounds, so too have the visual aesthetic preferences of consumers.
—William Jones, Ascend Agency, 7 Feb. 2026
Texas Christian University Horned Frogs guard Olivia Miles (5) leaps in the air after seeing backup center Emily Hunter block a shot late in the game against the Houston Cougars at Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth, February 4, 2026.
—Dallas Morning News, 5 Feb. 2026
All of that uncertainty has caused the value of gold to make major leaps, hitting an all-time high of over $5,500 per ounce last week.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 4 Feb. 2026
Here are some of the biggest leaps forward in new Stuff+, which will be up on the pages of FanGraphs shortly.
—Eno Sarris, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
AGourmet is different from the usual chain restaurants in the surrounding area, and the food is better by leaps and bounds.
—Bahar Anooshahr, AZCentral.com, 2 Feb. 2026
Still, Egorov said that BASE jumpers still take leaps inside the park.
—Outside, 31 Jan. 2026
The event was livestreamed on Netflix with a 10-second delay so the public could follow closely his daring leaps and no-hands holds.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 26 Jan. 2026
Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2026
In a cult classic 1976 film, The Bill Koch Experience, the star slaloms at perilous speed through low brush, dodges cows in a pasture, and also leaps off a boulder, only to tumble.
—Bill Donahue, Outside, 14 Feb. 2026
While still on Dawson’s Creek, Van Der Beek hosted Saturday Night Live — the musical guest was Everlast — and landed a plumb role in Varsity Blues, playing a second-string high school quarterback who leaps into the breach when the star suffers an injury.
—Dallas Morning News, 11 Feb. 2026
When the drivers stride out, the grandstand leaps up.
—Erin Florio, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Feb. 2026
Tebow practically leaps to his feet to say hello.
—Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 8 Feb. 2026
Once the film leaps ahead to Paris in the late 1800s, Jones appears as a dandified version of his princely self.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 7 Feb. 2026
In the video, the cat quickly leaps off the stove after turning on a burner, which ignited the items sitting on top.
—Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 17 Jan. 2026
And then there’s that line about wishing you were here to see it, which leaps from his throat like a cry for help.
—Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 11 Jan. 2026
Noun
As far as Atlanta rap upstarts go, Sk8star has all the goods, and his new tape Designer Junkie synthesizes them into one of the smoother leaps into the big leagues.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 13 Feb. 2026
Over the course of the past few decades, as technology has continued to evolve in leaps and bounds, so too have the visual aesthetic preferences of consumers.
—William Jones, Ascend Agency, 7 Feb. 2026
Texas Christian University Horned Frogs guard Olivia Miles (5) leaps in the air after seeing backup center Emily Hunter block a shot late in the game against the Houston Cougars at Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth, February 4, 2026.
—Dallas Morning News, 5 Feb. 2026
All of that uncertainty has caused the value of gold to make major leaps, hitting an all-time high of over $5,500 per ounce last week.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 4 Feb. 2026
Here are some of the biggest leaps forward in new Stuff+, which will be up on the pages of FanGraphs shortly.
—Eno Sarris, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
AGourmet is different from the usual chain restaurants in the surrounding area, and the food is better by leaps and bounds.
—Bahar Anooshahr, AZCentral.com, 2 Feb. 2026
Still, Egorov said that BASE jumpers still take leaps inside the park.
—Outside, 31 Jan. 2026
The event was livestreamed on Netflix with a 10-second delay so the public could follow closely his daring leaps and no-hands holds.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 26 Jan. 2026
Verb
But then, the moment Buckley walks on, the entire audience leaps to its feet, roaring and clapping for her.
—Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 16 Feb. 2026
In a cult classic 1976 film, The Bill Koch Experience, the star slaloms at perilous speed through low brush, dodges cows in a pasture, and also leaps off a boulder, only to tumble.
—Bill Donahue, Outside, 14 Feb. 2026
While still on Dawson’s Creek, Van Der Beek hosted Saturday Night Live — the musical guest was Everlast — and landed a plumb role in Varsity Blues, playing a second-string high school quarterback who leaps into the breach when the star suffers an injury.
—Dallas Morning News, 11 Feb. 2026
When the drivers stride out, the grandstand leaps up.
—Erin Florio, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Feb. 2026
Tebow practically leaps to his feet to say hello.
—Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 8 Feb. 2026
Once the film leaps ahead to Paris in the late 1800s, Jones appears as a dandified version of his princely self.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 7 Feb. 2026
In the video, the cat quickly leaps off the stove after turning on a burner, which ignited the items sitting on top.
—Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 17 Jan. 2026
And then there’s that line about wishing you were here to see it, which leaps from his throat like a cry for help.
—Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 11 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leaps
Noun
-
But because these runs are judged, and time counts for only 20% of the score, with jumps and precision through the moguls counting for the rest, Lamley edged out the Canadian for third.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Chen was able to recover in the free program, completing five quad jumps, which was enough to bring him to fifth place overall.—
Alice Park,
Time,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Water for Elephants is a show about a man who loses everything, then hops on a train that's attached to a traveling circus.—
Laura Phillips,
CBS News,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Esty Shapiro, a 19-year-old woman from a Hasidic Jewish sect in Brooklyn, pockets a secret wad of cash, picks up a passport, and hops on a plane to Berlin, all set to the tense soundtrack of a thriller.—
Stephanie Bai,
The Atlantic,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Leaps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leaps. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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