leadoff

1 of 2

noun

lead·​off ˈlēd-ˌȯf How to pronounce leadoff (audio)
Synonyms of leadoffnext
1
: a beginning or leading action
2
: one that leads off
leadoff adjective

lead off

2 of 2

verb

led off; leading off; leads off

intransitive verb

: begin
also : to come on or perform first

transitive verb

1
: to make a start on : open
2
: to bat first for a baseball team in (an inning)

Examples of leadoff in a Sentence

Verb plans to lead off the news conference with a prepared statement
Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
In the fifth, a leadoff walk came back to haunt Ohtani. Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026 Lee set the stage for Schmitt’s heroics with a leadoff single off Miami’s third pitcher, Andrew Nardi (1-1), after which Matt Chapman drew a walk. Miami Herald, 27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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 See All Example Sentences for leadoff

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1886, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1806, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of leadoff was in 1806

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Leadoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leadoff. Accessed 1 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

leadoff

noun
lead·​off ˈlēd-ˌȯf How to pronounce leadoff (audio)
1
: a beginning action
2
: one that begins something
leadoff adjective
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