take the lead

idiom

: to take a position that is ahead of others : go first

You take the lead and we'll follow right behind you.

: to take the winning position in a race or competition

Her car has taken the lead.

Our team took the lead in the eighth inning.

—often used figuratively

Their company has taken the lead in developing this new technology.

Examples of take the lead in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

With full control of Congress, Republican lawmakers will likely take the lead in setting rules for the largely unregulated sector. —

Courtenay Brown, Axios, 4 Feb. 2025 Wilner will take the lead as both a reporter and editor in guiding The Times’ coverage of the second Trump administration, working with other members of the Washington Bureau as well as colleagues around the newsroom. —

Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2025 By stepping back and letting their child take the lead, these parents showed respect for their child’s abilities and nurtured their self-esteem. —

Reem Raouda, Contributor, CNBC, 2 Feb. 2025 Does anyone expect Kennedy to take the lead on this? —

The Editors, National Review, 29 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for take the lead

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“Take the lead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20the%20lead. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.

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