ahead
adverb or adjective
1
a
: in a forward direction or position : forward
b
: in front
2
: in, into, or for the future
plan ahead
3
: in or toward a more advantageous position
helped others to get ahead
4
: at or to an earlier time : in advance
make payments ahead
5
a
: in or into a leading position in a race or competition
a politician who is running ahead in most polls
Josh Carter scored from a yard out and the Pride added a two-point conversion to surge ahead 14-7.—
Cumberland (Maryland) Times-News
Cumberland (Maryland) Times-News
b
baseball
(1)
of a pitcher
: in or into the situation of having thrown more strikes than balls to a batter
Home run threat Mark Reynolds was up next with the bases loaded, but Colon quickly got ahead 1-2 in the count and struck the third baseman out swinging with a … fastball.—Ray Monell
Ray Monell
(2)
of a batter
: in or into the situation of having a count of more balls than strikes
Albert Pujols got ahead 3-1 and then lined one into the seats in left for his 20th home run of the year and second of the series.—John Fay
John FayExamples of ahead in a Sentence
call ahead for reservations
sent me ahead to get a place in the check-out line while she went to get the eggs and milk
the line moved ahead at a snail's pace
Recent Examples on the Web
Even when the comeback seemed for naught when Stephon Castle was fouled after the Knicks had taken the lead and made two free throws to put San Antonio back ahead with 30 seconds left, the Knicks had one more rally in them.
—Tim Reynolds, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
Book ahead for both tea service and classes.
—Kate Williams, AJC.com, 10 June 2026
Go ahead and pluck away without the stress.
—Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 10 June 2026
The show then jumps ahead to the start of the next summer in Barry’s Bay, where Percy works to reopen the tavern.
—Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for ahead
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Tim Reynolds, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
Book ahead for both tea service and classes.
—Kate Williams, AJC.com, 10 June 2026
Go ahead and pluck away without the stress.
—Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 10 June 2026
The show then jumps ahead to the start of the next summer in Barry’s Bay, where Percy works to reopen the tavern.
—Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for ahead
Cite this Entry
“Ahead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ahead. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ahead
adverb or adjective1
: in or toward the front
the road ahead
go ahead
2
: in, into, or for the future
think ahead
3
: in or toward a better position
came out $20 ahead on the deal
4
: at or to an earlier time : in advance
make payments ahead
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