leapfrog

[leep-frog, -frawg]

noun

1. a game in which players take turns in leaping over another player bent over from the waist.

2. 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)

leapfrogged, leapfrogging 

1. to jump over (a person or thing) in or as if in leapfrog.

   He leapfrogged the fence to reach the crying child.

2. 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)

leapfrogged, leapfrogging 

1. to move or advance in or as if in leapfrog.

   Our tour leapfrogged through six cities in four days.

leapfrog

/ ˈliːpˌfrɒɡ /

noun

1. a children's game in which each player in turn leaps over the others' bent backs, leaning on them with the hands and spreading the legs wide

verb

1. 1. (intr) to play leapfrog

   2. (tr) to leap in this way over (something)

2. to advance or cause to advance by jumps or stages

Other Word Forms

• leapfrogger noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of leapfrog¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; leap + frog ¹

Example Sentences

The victory also means they leapfrog their opponents to move top of the Rugby Championship standings before Saturday's later game between the world champion Springboks and Argentina.

From BBC

The 31-year-old believes Chicken Shop Date, and similar YouTube shows such as Hot Ones have leapfrogged more traditional chat shows to the top of many celebrity agents' lists when their client has something to promote.

From BBC

Needing to beat Brooks by about six seconds to leapfrog her rival on to the podium, Johnson-Thompson wore a puzzled look as it was confirmed they had finished on exactly the same points.

From BBC

The Snapdragon deal has helped them leapfrog back above Liverpool in terms of commercial revenue.

From BBC

He talks of "leapfrogging" bigger, more advanced countries, which are still locked into "traditional ways of working".

From BBC

Related Words

• bounce 
• dive 
• drop 
• fall 
• hurdle 
• plunge 
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• vault