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

Submissions for the awards season’s leadoff hitter, the Golden Globes (to be held Jan. 5, 2025), are due today. —Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 4 Nov. 2024

After a leadoff single from Kiké Hernández, Judge flat-out dropped a line drive off the bat of Tommy Edman. —Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2024

Verb

Smith took an 0-2 pitch from Luis Gil deep to lead off the fifth. —Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 30 Oct. 2024

Harris led off her remarks in Waterford Friday evening with an impassioned plea for peace in the Middle East. —John Wisely, Detroit Free Press, 19 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