leadoff

American  

[leed-awf, -of] / ˈlidˌɔf, -ˌɒf /

noun

1. an act that starts something; start; beginning.

2. Baseball. the player who is first in the batting order or who is first to bat for a team in an inning.

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Etymology

Origin of leadoff

First recorded in 1890–95; noun use of verb phrase lead off

Example Sentences

Matthews took over the leadoff position, but it did not faze her.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2026

Seward, a junior committed to Tennessee, had three hits as the leadoff batter.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 21, 2026

By way of example from another sportsbook, Caesars Sports offered these World Series prop bets for Ohtani: Would he hit a leadoff home run?

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 5, 2026

There’s also an argument that the Jays erred in not sacrificing in the eighth inning with Ernie Clement on second after another leadoff double.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 2, 2025

He was our leadoff hitter and liked to study the pitchers as much as I did.

From "Life Is So Good" by George Dawson