Meaning & use
lead
The first or foremost position in a race, competition, or ranking.
See it in a sentence
The runner took the lead in the final stretch and never looked back.
Our team held a narrow lead going into the fourth quarter.
A note on using this word
Lead has several unrelated meanings, including the metal, pronounced led, and the verb meaning to guide, so context is essential.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Another way to use it
2. verb
To guide or direct the movement, actions, or course of a person, group, or thing.
She led the hikers safely down the mountain before the storm hit.
3. noun
A soft, heavy, gray metallic chemical element, symbol Pb, once widely used in pipes and paint.
Old houses sometimes still contain pipes made partly of lead.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “lead”, then compare your use with the examples above.