in the lead
idiom
1
: in a position that is ahead of others
They walked single file, with the oldest boy in the lead.
2
: winning in a race or competition
Our team was in the lead.
Examples of in the lead in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Taylor-Johnson's casting in the lead role was announced back in May 2021.
—
Julia Emmanuele, PEOPLE, 16 Dec. 2025
Ryabkov was among those Russian officials downplaying the threat looming over Ukraine in the lead up to Moscow's full-scale invasion of its neighbor.
—Ian Pannell, ABC News, 15 Dec. 2025
Emails obtained by Sportico showed Blaylock as OSU’s primary point of contact with Blueprint Sports in the lead up to the deal being executed.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 14 Dec. 2025
While Husted is still in the lead, his support has decreased by one percentage point since Emerson College's August poll, while support for Brown has increased by two points.
—Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in the lead
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Julia Emmanuele, PEOPLE, 16 Dec. 2025
Ryabkov was among those Russian officials downplaying the threat looming over Ukraine in the lead up to Moscow's full-scale invasion of its neighbor.
—Ian Pannell, ABC News, 15 Dec. 2025
Emails obtained by Sportico showed Blaylock as OSU’s primary point of contact with Blueprint Sports in the lead up to the deal being executed.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 14 Dec. 2025
While Husted is still in the lead, his support has decreased by one percentage point since Emerson College's August poll, while support for Brown has increased by two points.
—Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in the lead
Cite this Entry
“In the lead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20the%20lead. Accessed 20 Dec. 2025.
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