leapfrog

American  

[leep-frog, -frawg] / ˈlipˌfrɒg, -ˌfrɔg /

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.

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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 British  

/ 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

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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

Etymology

Origin of leapfrog

First recorded in 1590–1600; leap + frog ¹

Example Sentences

Executives also told reporters that the company was taking time to get the software right, which they said would allow them to “leapfrog” the test plan by flying semiautonomously.

From The Wall Street Journal

Gelsinger laid out a strategy to leapfrog those rivals while also becoming a leading contract chip maker.

From The Wall Street Journal

Japan are 13th and would leapfrog Tandy's side with victory.

From BBC

Eddie Jones' Brave Blossoms would leapfrog Tandy's side into 12th in the world rankings if they upset the odds in Cardiff.

From BBC

At least one team that kept leapfrogging us didn’t reach their Atlantic goal.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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