leadoff

1 of 2

noun

lead·​off ˈlēd-ˌȯf 

1

: a beginning or leading action

2

: one that leads off

leadoff adjective

lead off

2 of 2

verb

ˈlēd- 

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)

Synonyms

Verb

• begin
• commence
• embark (on or upon)
• enter (into or upon)
• fall (to)
• get off
• kick off
• launch
• open
• start
• strike (into)

Examples of leadoff in a Sentence

Verb

plans to lead off the news conference with a prepared statement

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Kansas City, as a team, got a .228 batting average (27th of 30 teams) and a .270 on-base percentage (30th) from their leadoff hitters last year. —Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic, 25 Nov. 2024

Moving him up to the leadoff spot was one of the best decisions the Mets made all season. —Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 21 Nov. 2024

Verb

While the intimate Moon in your communication sector cooperates with focused Saturn in your self-expression zone, you’re equipped to identify which details are genuinely necessary to shape a coherent narrative versus which will lead off on distracting tangents. —Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 6 Nov. 2024

After Garcia led off the sixth inning with a single, the Royals' Michael Massey hit a chopper to first base. —Ryan Canfield, Fox News, 11 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1886, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1806, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Kids Definition

leadoff

noun

lead·​off ˈlēd-ˌȯf 

1

: a beginning action

2

: one that begins something

leadoff adjective