lead on

/ liːd /

verb

1. (tr, adverb) to lure or entice, esp into trouble or wrongdoing

Idioms and Phrases

Entice someone into proceeding, mislead; also, deceive someone, especially pretending romantic interest. For example, He's leading her on to reveal more of her family history, or She's just leading him on; she has a serious boyfriend at home. [Late 1500s]

Example Sentences

Military police were first alerted to the allegations and handed the lead on the investigation to Wiltshire Police earlier this year, after the scale of the complaints became clear.

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He broke alertly taking the lead on the far turn but then giving it up before the stretch only to rally back and win the race.

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The Blue Jays would also add on from there, making it a 4-2 lead on a sacrifice fly later in the inning.

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Montagna said Fish and Wildlife took the lead on escorting the bear out of the zoo and back into the woods.

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The Metropolitan Police's newly appointed lead on phone theft says its work in tackling the crime has not been "good enough".

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Related Words

• be dishonest www.thesaurus.com
• betray 
• cheat 
• circumvent 
• defraud 
• delude 
• disappoint 
• dupe 
• entrap 
• falsify 
• fool 
• hoodwink 
• mislead 
• swindle 
• trick 
• victimize