lead with

phrasal verb

led with; leading with; leads with
1
: to begin with (something specified)
The newspaper story led with a long report on the funeral.
2
: to begin a series of punches in boxing with (a punch thrown by a specified hand)
The champion led with a left to the body, followed up quickly with a right to the jaw.

Examples of lead with in a Sentence

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While the Trojans tried to find their footing, the Illini built a 22-point halftime lead with little resistance. Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026 Sam Stoermer led with 17 for Falmouth, Jameson Cassidy had eight, and Max Peterkin had seven. Zach McMahon, Boston Herald, 18 Feb. 2026 A couple of free throws by Joshua Sheran cut Blair’s deficit to 87-86, but Trabuco scored the next 10 in a row for a decisive 97-86 lead with 34 seconds remaining. Martin Henderson, Oc Register, 18 Feb. 2026 California, where the chain was founded, leads with the most locations at a whopping 206 stores across the state. Isa Almeida, Oklahoman, 17 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lead with

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Cite this Entry

“Lead with.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lead%20with. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.

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