as in began
to take the first step in (a process or course of action)
plans to lead off the news conference with a prepared statement
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Recent Examples of led off
The movie division’s success led off Disney’s Q1 2026 earnings call earlier this week, with Iger giving Bergman and his team a shout-out.
—
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 3 Feb. 2026
After a brief exchange, Taylor is put in handcuffs and led off the court at Forbes Arena.
—Sarah Spencer, AJC.com, 2 Feb. 2026
Kuemper was soon led off the ice, having made five saves.
—CBS News, 15 Dec. 2025
The man was then led off as onlookers watched in disbelief.
—Emma Bussey , Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2025
George Springer led off with a single and was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Nathan Lukes.
—Greg Rosenstein, NBC news, 2 Nov. 2025
Nathan Lukes led off Game 4 and played left field in Springer's place on Tuesday, a game the Blue Jays won 6-2.
—Jon Paul Hoornstra, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
Daulton Varsho led off with a single and Ernie Clement doubled, and Dave Roberts made the call for Banda.
—Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 29 Oct. 2025
Chourio, who led off the Brewers’ Game 2 loss with a home run off Yoshinobu Yamamoto, was replaced during his at-bat by pinch hitter Blake Perkins in the seventh inning.
—C. Trent Rosecrans, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 3 Feb. 2026
After a brief exchange, Taylor is put in handcuffs and led off the court at Forbes Arena.
—Sarah Spencer, AJC.com, 2 Feb. 2026
Kuemper was soon led off the ice, having made five saves.
—CBS News, 15 Dec. 2025
The man was then led off as onlookers watched in disbelief.
—Emma Bussey , Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2025
George Springer led off with a single and was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Nathan Lukes.
—Greg Rosenstein, NBC news, 2 Nov. 2025
Nathan Lukes led off Game 4 and played left field in Springer's place on Tuesday, a game the Blue Jays won 6-2.
—Jon Paul Hoornstra, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
Daulton Varsho led off with a single and Ernie Clement doubled, and Dave Roberts made the call for Banda.
—Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 29 Oct. 2025
Chourio, who led off the Brewers’ Game 2 loss with a home run off Yoshinobu Yamamoto, was replaced during his at-bat by pinch hitter Blake Perkins in the seventh inning.
—C. Trent Rosecrans, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for led off
Verb
-
The Seahawks’ victory completed a season that began with an NFC West loss to the 49ers at Lumen Field.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The show began with Bad Bunny peering through some tall grass as if in a sugar cane field in Puerto Rico.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Glamour,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
TikTok and Snap settled with a plaintiff involved in the case before the trial commenced.—
Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Bad Bunny commenced his historic performance with a stage set evoking Puerto Rican history, beginning with the brutal legacy of Spanish imperialism on the island.—
Raquel Reichard,
Refinery29,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Belgium international has started to utilise his physical traits, increasingly aggressive in duels and more willing to dominate his opponent.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Villa, who started the taqueria as a pop-up in the Highland Park neighborhood in 2018, took to Instagram to express gratitude for the opportunity, underscoring his family’s immigrant background.—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
However, turning him into the next Weaver will be easier said than done, though the Yankees got off to a nice start by tweaking his arsenal after he was designated for assignment by the Mets last season.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
10 Feb. 2026
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The Tar Heels tied the game again at 51 as the Hurricanes got off to a 4-for-14 start from the field in the second half.—
Adam Lichtenstein,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Seattle opened as the favorite to win next year’s Super Bowl on BetMGM.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Her grandfather opened Lewis Street Auto Body, which is still in the family.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Led off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/led%20off. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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