lead-in
Americannoun
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something that leads in or introduces; introduction; opening.
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Radio, Television.
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the connection between an antenna and a transmitter or receiving set.
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the portion of a program or script that precedes or introduces a commercial.
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adjective
noun
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an introduction to a subject
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( as modifier )
a lead-in announcement
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the connection between a radio transmitter, receiver, etc, and the aerial or transmission line
Etymology
Origin of lead-in
First recorded in 1910–15; noun, adj. use of verb phrase lead in
Vocabulary lists containing lead-in
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.
Its episodic encores are currently airing on Fox as a lead-in to “The Faithful,” whose showrunner, René Echevarria, is an old hand at both network and cable, and whose work includes “The 4400.”
From Salon • Mar. 29, 2026
New tariffs will require a longer lead-in time before they are imposed.
From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026
Later I switched to “Some Kind of Wonderful” by Grand Funk Railroad for a simple reason: Whenever she’s around my heart beats in rhythm with the 1974 tune’s powerful drum lead-in.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026
When the first ball is finally bowled after a chaotic lead-in, Pakistan will open the tournament against the Netherlands in Colombo.
From Barron's • Feb. 5, 2026
The anchor’s lead-in: Adoptions are about giving new homes to children who don’t have families.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
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.
