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
The Padres took a 1-0 lead in the second when Merrill, the standout center fielder, and shortstop Xander Bogaerts led off with consecutive doubles.
—
Dennis Lin, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Jordan Beck led off the ninth with a home run off reliever Ryan Walker, cutting the lead to 4-3.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 27 Sep. 2025
Carlos Narváez led off with a single, then walked back to the dugout as Nate Eaton took his place.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 27 Sep. 2025
Portola led off the appeals requests made to the CIF-SS Council on Thursday at The Grand conference center.
—Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 25 Sep. 2025
Farmer singled in Ezequiel Tovar, who led off the inning with a single that was followed by a walk to Blaine Crim.
—Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2025
Tatis led off the sixth with a single against Scott Barlow.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Sep. 2025
Dennis Lin, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Jordan Beck led off the ninth with a home run off reliever Ryan Walker, cutting the lead to 4-3.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 27 Sep. 2025
Carlos Narváez led off with a single, then walked back to the dugout as Nate Eaton took his place.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 27 Sep. 2025
Portola led off the appeals requests made to the CIF-SS Council on Thursday at The Grand conference center.
—Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 25 Sep. 2025
Farmer singled in Ezequiel Tovar, who led off the inning with a single that was followed by a walk to Blaine Crim.
—Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2025
Tatis led off the sixth with a single against Scott Barlow.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for led off
Verb
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The duo, neither of which was born when Napier first began coaching in 2003, took advantage of Texas’ top cornerback, Malik Muhammed, missing the game.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
5 Oct. 2025
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The Longhorns began the season with a 64 percent chance to make the Playoff, according to The Athletic’s projections.—
Grace Raynor,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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As the 2025 season commenced, an idea to abandon the new designs after just a few seasons and return to V10 engines powered by sustainable fuels was championed by FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem.—
Alex Kalinauckas,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
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Following his disappearance, officers immediately commenced a multi-agency search involving more than 200 people, dogs, drones, infrared cameras and search teams on the ground and in the air.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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What matters is just getting started.—
Andreina Rodriguez,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
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The Giants started the year strong and looked to compete with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres for the division crown, but would collapse in the back half of the season and miss out on the playoffs entirely, ending 81-81.—
Hunter Mulholland,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Play Now Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address at the UN General Assembly got off to a fraught start as dozens of delegates walked out upon his arrival.—
Brian Bennett,
Time,
1 Oct. 2025
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In May, the Rockies fired manager Bud Black after the team got off to a 7-33 start.—
Melissa Lockard,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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On a patch of public land north of Ramona earlier this month, Angela Hernandez-Cusick watched with a group of wildlife experts as the door to each cub’s carrier was opened.—
Karen Kucher,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Sep. 2025
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The Justice Department opened a civil rights investigation into Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) over its employment practices, the agency said in a news release Tuesday.—
Michelle Watson,
CNN Money,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Led off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/led%20off. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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