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
Alex Call led off the eighth with a double and scored on a two-out single by Kyle Tucker to cut the lead to one.
—
CBS News, 5 May 2026
Bo Bichette led off the bottom of the first with a home run against right-hander Zack Littell, and the Mets chased him from the game in the fourth inning.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 29 Apr. 2026
Tucker led off that inning with a double to right-center, moved to third on a ground out, then scored on Dalton Rushing’s two-strike single to right.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
Aranda led off against righty reliever Hunter Gaddis with a homer, his seventh of the season to boost his RBI total to 24, second most in the American League, and make the score 2-2.
—Marc Topkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2026
Neto led off the game with a hit.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 27 Apr. 2026
Senior shortstop Cooper Page, who went 2-for-3 with three runs scored, led off with a seeing-eye single up the middle.
—Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
Stanton led off the second with a towering shot to left, driving a 1-0 slider from Connelly Early (1-1) over the Green Monster for his third homer of the season and New York’s 19th in the last eight games.
—ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026
Newt Schroeder drove in the only run for Mineral Wells (14-9-2, 3-4) on a ground out in the fourth inning that plated Brogan Sims who had led off the inning with a single.
—Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Apr. 2026
CBS News, 5 May 2026
Bo Bichette led off the bottom of the first with a home run against right-hander Zack Littell, and the Mets chased him from the game in the fourth inning.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 29 Apr. 2026
Tucker led off that inning with a double to right-center, moved to third on a ground out, then scored on Dalton Rushing’s two-strike single to right.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
Aranda led off against righty reliever Hunter Gaddis with a homer, his seventh of the season to boost his RBI total to 24, second most in the American League, and make the score 2-2.
—Marc Topkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2026
Neto led off the game with a hit.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 27 Apr. 2026
Senior shortstop Cooper Page, who went 2-for-3 with three runs scored, led off with a seeing-eye single up the middle.
—Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
Stanton led off the second with a towering shot to left, driving a 1-0 slider from Connelly Early (1-1) over the Green Monster for his third homer of the season and New York’s 19th in the last eight games.
—ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026
Newt Schroeder drove in the only run for Mineral Wells (14-9-2, 3-4) on a ground out in the fourth inning that plated Brogan Sims who had led off the inning with a single.
—Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for led off
Verb
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When Richards began his career in criminal-justice advocacy, the idea of closing Rikers Island would have been a radical fantasy.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
-
Spencer Strider, who began the year sidelined with a right oblique strain and struggled with command upon his return last week, looked close to vintage form in Los Angeles.—
Jesús Cano,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
Verb
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The news comes a few weeks after Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) boss Ravi Ahuja commenced a months-long layoffs process that will impact a few hundred of its 12,000 global staff.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
8 May 2026
-
Anika Reed The Beyoncé Gala has finally commenced.—
Anika Reed,
USA Today,
5 May 2026
Verb
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Carolyn Hax started her Washington Post advice column in 1997, after five years on the Style desk and none as a therapist.—
Carolyn Hax,
Washington Post,
15 May 2026
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Barker and Tomlinson had been at it for a year when the pandemic started, and their classes migrated to Zoom.—
Alex Barasch,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
Verb
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But the Sabres got off to another fast start in the second when Jordan Greenway scored through a screen on a shot that tipped off Jakub Dobeš’ glove.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
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Gustavsson got off to a rocky start by giving up goals on the opening two shots of the first period and the first shot of the second.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
Verb
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This is one of the longest-standing Filipino restaurants in Little Manila, opened in 1992 by Renee and Ernesto Dizon, who wanted to serve the neighborhood’s growing population of immigrant nurses.—
Ligaya Mishan,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
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Kelsey Plum scored 11 of her 27 points in the fourth quarter, but by then the Aces had opened a 20-plus point lead.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Led off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/led%20off. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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