as in began
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 led off
Schmidt, who bats and throws left, led off the bottom of the seventh with a sharp single to right field.
—
Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 27 May 2026
Garrett Mitchell led off the eighth with a double and Luis Rengifo followed with a single, chasing May (3-6).
—ABC News, 27 May 2026
Bachman retired the side in order in the eighth, but Kirby Yates couldn’t convert his first save opportunity for the Angels, as McNeil led off the ninth by curling his second homer inside the right-field foul pole, tying the score at 5.
—Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2026
Trout led off the bottom of the third with his 43rd career homer against the A's.
—CBS News, 20 May 2026
Dubovik led off the inning with a single and then moved to third base on a pair of wild pitches.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 20 May 2026
Righty Zack Kelly left behind a man on first, Lane Thomas, who led off with a single.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 20 May 2026
Senior second baseman MaKayla Van Vossen, a DePaul recruit, led off a three-run first with an opposite-field blast to left-center for her fifth home run of the season.
—Michael Osipoff, Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2026
Alec Bohn led off with a homer.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 10 May 2026
Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 27 May 2026
Garrett Mitchell led off the eighth with a double and Luis Rengifo followed with a single, chasing May (3-6).
—ABC News, 27 May 2026
Bachman retired the side in order in the eighth, but Kirby Yates couldn’t convert his first save opportunity for the Angels, as McNeil led off the ninth by curling his second homer inside the right-field foul pole, tying the score at 5.
—Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2026
Trout led off the bottom of the third with his 43rd career homer against the A's.
—CBS News, 20 May 2026
Dubovik led off the inning with a single and then moved to third base on a pair of wild pitches.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 20 May 2026
Righty Zack Kelly left behind a man on first, Lane Thomas, who led off with a single.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 20 May 2026
Senior second baseman MaKayla Van Vossen, a DePaul recruit, led off a three-run first with an opposite-field blast to left-center for her fifth home run of the season.
—Michael Osipoff, Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2026
Alec Bohn led off with a homer.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 10 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for led off
Verb
-
Sochan began the year with the San Antonio Spurs, the franchise that selected him in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
-
One of the earliest programs for continuing education came from Harvard University, who began the Harvard Extension School in 1835 in what was then called the Lowell Institute.—
Bryan Penprase,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Usyk tried to swarm once the action commenced.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
-
The LPs also commenced his empathetic association with bassist Bob Cranshaw, who appeared on Rollins’ albums for the next half-century.—
Chris Morris,
Variety,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
Oncologists are being flooded with requests as the special access program gets started.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
31 May 2026
-
Yet, San Antonio should be well-prepared for the challenge, having beaten the reigning champion Thunder, which started this season 24-1 and swept its first two playoff opponents.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Kochanowicz got off to a decent start, despite getting hit in the foot by a sharp comebacker.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
27 May 2026
-
That was all the Twins got off Burke, who threw seven innings and struck out eight.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
27 May 2026
Verb
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Ditto for the realization that Jean-Michel Basquiat died of an overdose in lower Manhattan the same day The Last Temptation opened in midtown.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 June 2026
-
The other two entrances, also blocked by craters and debris, had already been opened, and the roads to them, previously destroyed by bombing, had been repaved.—
Tamara Qiblawi,
CNN Money,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Led off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/led%20off. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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