lead-off

[ leed-awf, -of ]

adjective

1. leading off or beginning:

   the lead-off item on the agenda.

lead off

/ liːd /

verb

1. to initiate the action of (something); begin

noun

1. an initial move or action
2. a person or thing that begins something

Word History and Origins

Origin of lead-off¹

First recorded in 1885–90; adj. use of verb phrase lead off

Idioms and Phrases

Begin, start, go first. For example, We have a panel of three speakers, so will you lead off? [c. 1800]

Example Sentences

“A lead-off walk, that never ends well,” Miller said.

From Seattle Times

The 19-year-old Pan swam the fastest 100 in history with a time of 46.80 seconds in the lead-off leg of China’s gold medal-winning 4×100 relay team.

From Seattle Times

Biden won the Democratic primary as a write-in candidate after he kept his name off the ballot in deference to South Carolina’s new lead-off position for the Democratic primaries.

From Seattle Times

Now, South Carolina Democrats prepare to vote again in a week, serving for this cycle as the party’s lead-off primary — a move both Biden and Clyburn supported.

From Seattle Times

Biden is not campaigning in New Hampshire and his name will not appear on Tuesday’s primary ballot after he elevated South Carolina to the lead-off position for the Democratic primaries, but his allies are running a write-in campaign for him in the state.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• announce
• offer
• open
• propose
• recommend
• submit
• suggest