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lead on
verb
led on; leading on; leads on
: to entice or induce to adopt or continue in a course or belief especially when unwise or mistaken
Synonyms
Examples of lead on in a Sentence
a con man whose dupes are usually led on by their own greed and eagerness to turn an easy buck
Recent Examples on the Web
Florida took a 5-0 lead on Reinhart’s 53rd of the season at 17:56 of the second.
—Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2024
In Wednesday’s battle of one-loss teams, Parker (11-1, 2-0) took a 4-0 lead on hits by Mary Grandona, Olivia Urso, Evelyn Luo and Mimi Humui, along with several miscues by Classical (7-2, 0-1), which saw its seven-game winning streak snapped with its first game in 12 days.
—Jim Lindgren, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2024
The Warriors own a three-game lead on the Rockets, who lost Tuesday, with a Thursday matchup awaiting in Houston.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2024
At least Kasie’s got a lead on a lab that claims to have cracked the secret to synthesizing element 116, which means this non-existent chemical found in Greene’s wounds actually exists and NCIS might be able to find the elusive weapons manufacturer.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 1 Apr. 2024
Sacramento responded with a 15-0 run to take a 73-58 lead on a pullup jumper from Fox.
—Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 1 Apr. 2024
The first four games were decided by an average of 23 points on Thursday, but then No. 9 seed Michigan State had that early 12-point lead on No. 1 UNC Saturday.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 24 Mar. 2024
France led on Wednesday with $1.4 million, followed by South Korea with $1.1 million.
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Feb. 2024
The mayor was in touch with the track coach and had a staff member chase down a lead on an alternative space for handball.
—E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lead on.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1598, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near lead on
Cite this Entry
“Lead on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lead%20on. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Kids Definition
lead on
verb
: to persuade to take up or continue in a course of action or belief when unwise or mistaken
led on by the promise of wealth
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