LEADS Synonyms: 206 Similar and Opposite Words

leads 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of lead

as in steers

to point out the way for (someone) especially from a position in front an enthusiastic docent led our group through the art museum

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Relevance

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as in commands

to serve as leader of a senior programmer is leading the team that is developing the new accounting software

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as in accompanies

to be at the front of the local high school's marching band led the parade

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as in extends

to be positioned along a certain course or in a certain direction this old road leads to an abandoned quarry

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as in guides

to give advice and instruction to (someone) regarding the course or process to be followed the salesclerk led us through the maze of options now available to television buyers

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leads

2 of 2

noun

plural of lead

as in principals

the person who has the most important role in a play, movie, or TV show the actor's career has really taken off since he became the lead in that prime-time drama

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as in distances

the space or amount of space between two points, lines, surfaces, or objects the runner maintained a lead of several meters all the way around the track

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as in tips

a piece of advice or useful information especially from an expert my sister got a lead on the job opening from her neighbor, who is the human resources director for the company

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as in clues

a slight or indirect pointing to something (as a solution or explanation) the police are now working on several leads generated by the evidence gathered at the crime scene

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of leads

Verb

Murali Baggu, who leads the grid-integration program at the National Laboratory of the Rockies, says technical challenges remain and standards are still in flux. — Alex Pasternack, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026 According to one study, China leads America in 66 of 74 strategically vital technologies, including forms of machine learning and advanced computing. — Andrei Iancu, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026 Though less known than many authors, Daunt leads a bookselling empire of unprecedented scale. — Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026 Kayden Dixon-Wyatt leads all Power Four freshmen wideouts in receiving yards (400). — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026 The 19-year-old center, who leads the team in assists and points, won only 1 of 11 faceoffs and had two shots. — Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026 Australia won the first test in Durban by 214 runs and leads the three-match series 1-0. — ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026 Clear is the president of Atomic Monster and leads the studio's emerging directors program. — Ayesha Rascoe, NPR, 18 Oct. 2026 The terrace actually spans two decks—something which Sirena says is totally unique, even among larger superyachts—with an elegant wood and metal staircase that leads from the airy patio on the main deck to a plush lounge on the deck above. — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 12 Oct. 2026

Noun

The Philadelphia Eagles are 2-3 and have lost three straight, including their last two games after blowing fourth-quarter leads. — Ryan Canfield Outkick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026 Investigators with the Police Department’s investigations unit and Real Time Crime Center spent the next two days gathering evidence and pursuing leads, Gaines said. — Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 17 Oct. 2026 Miami had leads of 7-0 and 14-7; FSU tied the game both times. — ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026 Investigators collected evidence and pursued numerous leads, but the case remained unsolved for more than a decade. — Esther Lian, PEOPLE, 16 Oct. 2026 And even without Edgar-Jones, who is quickly becoming one of Hollywood’s most bookable young female leads, that would have been plenty of star power to contend with. — Elaina Patton, IndieWire, 15 Oct. 2026 Polls are currently predicting a much closer race than O’Rourke’s narrow 2018 loss, with Talarico showing narrow leads in most polls. — Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2026 Purav Jha, Naman Jain, Saqib Ayub and Prayrak Mehta play the leads. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026 Detectives on Tuesday were reviewing video and following available leads. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for leads

Verb

That’s because El Niño typically pointsthe jet stream — the west-to-east flowing, cross-country river of air that steers storms — at the southern tier of the US.

— Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026
Camden generally steers private clients away from designing for stays longer than 30 days, though some have asked his firm to plan for a year or more.

— Megan Buerger, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of steers

Verb

Sebastian Roché, a policing specialist at France's National Center for Scientific Research, said their use can depend on the political needs of the government, which commands them.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026
Top talent commands top wages which influence your performance, and results don’t precede wages.

— Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of commands

Verb

And from that boredom, a different kind of will, the willfulness that accompanies a need to destroy that happiness.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
The trip, which accompanies an Aït Atta family on their seasonal migration, includes deluxe glamping-style accommodations, activities like traditional bread baking and jewelry-making, as well as a private local guide throughout.

— Jen Murphy, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of accompanies

Verb

His work at times extends beyond Ghana to include international like with people like the Kenyan British artist Michael Armitage and his Nairobi Contemporary Art Institute.

— Gameli Hamelo, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Prediction extends beyond the cerebral cortex The researchers used machine learning to determine whether brain activity patterns could distinguish between visual and tactile experiences.

— Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of extends

Verb

The Black Parade, a marching band, guides him into the afterlife.

— Lina Abascal, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
Our capital improvement plan guides us with the infrastructure for traffic improvements, drainage/stormwater maintenance and other facilities to be maintained within the town.

— Susan Starkey, Sun Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of guides

Noun

Sacramento City Unified has asked principals to propose 10% cuts to school budgets this year, setting a $2 million target for reductions to school-site non-personnel spending as the district works through a fiscal crisis.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 16 Oct. 2026
In a phone interview, L'Anse Creuse Superintendent Keith Howell said that principals have to make decisions all the time about how to manage situations, and that last Friday night turned out well because of the revision to the first notice.

— Heath Kalb, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of principals

Noun

The intestinal villi provide a large surface area while allowing nutrients to move across relatively short distances.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026
Manual order processing or sending orders to the wrong location means longer shipping distances, higher labor costs and slower deliveries.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026