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
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
(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

Examples 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Bishop Rodney McIntosh, a close friend of the McKellar family, told Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV that Evan McKellar has a long road to recovery ahead. Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 July 2025 Comfort and Preparation Seasoned travelers often come prepared for the long journey ahead. Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 6 July 2025 The Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which have stormed ahead in raising defense spending, all have conscription, as do several of the Nordic countries. Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 July 2025 Tech billionaire and former White House adviser Elon Musk is pushing ahead with his plans to form a new political party, but myriad obstacles stand in his way. semafor.com, 6 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for ahead

Word History

First Known Use

1568, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of ahead was in 1568

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ahead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ahead. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

ahead

adverb or adjective
1
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on ahead

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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