leapfrog
Americannoun
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a game in which players take turns in leaping over another player bent over from the waist.
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an advance from one place, position, or situation to another without progressing through all or any of the places or stages in between.
a leapfrog from bank teller to vice president in one short year.
verb (used with object)
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to jump over (a person or thing) in or as if in leapfrog.
He leapfrogged the fence to reach the crying child.
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to move or cause to move as if in leapfrog.
Manufacturers are leapfrogging prices because the cost of raw materials has doubled.
verb (used without object)
noun
verb
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(intr) to play leapfrog
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(tr) to leap in this way over (something)
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to advance or cause to advance by jumps or stages
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has leapfroggedperfect 3rd person singular
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have leapfroggedperfect
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is leapfroggingprogressive 3rd person singular
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have been leapfroggingperfect progressive
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am leapfroggingprogressive 1st person singular
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has been leapfroggingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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leapfrogssingular 3rd person
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are leapfroggingprogressive
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leapfroggingparticiple
Past
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had leapfroggedperfect
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were leapfroggingprogressive plural
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was leapfroggingprogressive singular
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had been leapfroggingperfect progressive
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leapfroggedsimple
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leapfroggedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of leapfrog
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"The industry has to innovate and leapfrog, and not just copy and paste China," he said.
From Barron's • May 13, 2026
I like it when incumbents are operating on outdated systems because that creates a substantial opportunity to leapfrog competitors with modern integrated technology.
From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026
Victory would have lifted West Ham five points clear of the bottom three, but instead they have left the door ajar for Tottenham to leapfrog them with victory at Aston Villa on Sunday.
From BBC • May 2, 2026
Jeff Bezos is trying to leapfrog into the artificial intelligence race with a $100-billion fund to acquire manufacturers and bring more AI superpowers to factory floors.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026
The twins ran ahead to play leapfrog with the other kids while Naomi helped Muff with her boys.
From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
