go-ahead run
Americannoun
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a run that puts the batting team in the lead.
The runner on third scores easily, and that’s the go-ahead run for Baltimore.
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the runner who occupies a base closer to home plate than any other runner and who represents the team’s next opportunity to score a tie-breaking run.
The go-ahead run is on second base, and any decent hit from Jackson is gonna bring him home.
Etymology
Origin of go-ahead run
First recorded in 1990–95
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.
But on the bounce, the ball shot up in the air, and then it settled in the grass, giving Bregman enough time to score the go-ahead run.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
In the sixth, an unlucky bounce pushed the go-ahead run across the plate.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
The go-ahead run had been on the line with that challenge in the Dodgers’ eventual 8-7 win over the Rockies in 11 innings.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
On Tuesday, the Mets lost when combustible relief pitcher Devin Williams fell apart again, allowing Minnesota a go-ahead run and walking in a fifth run for kicks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 22, 2026
After the Americans tied the score in the bottom of the eighth, reliever Garrett Whitlock surrendered a double to Eugenio Suárez in the ninth that plated the go-ahead run.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 18, 2026
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
