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Glite Dictionary
🏆 Winning position 🥇 Ahead in competition 🚩 First place
in the lead

in the lead

45 3.5
Holding the first position in a game or race
  • idiom
: en cabeza
  • If we're going by most tips, grace, you're in the lead.
  • back in the lead
  • now in the lead
  • man in the lead

And right now Democrats are in the lead.

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Examples

  • She's in the lead!

    Pretenders (2021)

  • So who's in the lead?

    Charming (2018)

  • Edward is now in the lead with two points.

  • You're well in the lead, so you go first.

  • Jared is currently in the lead with two points.

  • The Flounders are back in the lead!

    Malibu Rescue (2019)

  • And he's in the lead with four.

    Ski School 2 (1994)

  • He's in the lead now.

    A-X-L (2018)

  • USA is in the lead for the team relay and Brody's in the water to anchor.

    Baywatch (2017)

  • Francesco Molinari entered the final round of the Masters alone in the lead by two strokes at 13 under.

Synonyms

lead
vsin the lead
  • Literature
537 3.2

The amount by which someone is ahead in a race or game

emphasizes holding the position rather than the numeric margin
ahead
vsin the lead
503 1.0

In a leading position with a higher score than others

is the longer phrase used to name the same contest position
leading
vsin the lead
130 3.4

Ahead of others in a game or race

is focused on holding that competition position or higher score
first place
vsin the lead
89 2.1

The top position in a competition or race

is often the final top rank while the key covers current leading status
front runner
vsin the lead
75 3.5

A person or team leading a competition

is about the status of holding that top position, not naming a person
out front
vsin the lead
26 3.4

Ahead of others in a race, game, or area of work

is about holding the higher score or position rather than visible placement
ahead of the pack
vsin the lead
  • Informal
3 4.4

Being more successful than others in the same group

applies to general advancement or success, not only contest score or rank
to make the running
vsin the lead
  • UK
1 7.7

To take the lead in a group or activity and get others to follow

describes holding that higher score or position rather than initiating the lead

Antonyms

trailing
1 3.7

Following tracks to find a person or animal

How Ahead

dominant
6 4.1
in the lead
45 3.5
ahead
503 1.0
level
77 1.6
behind
675 1.0

Surface Forms

in the lead positive

Morphology

in + the + lead

The meaning 'in an advantageous, first, or leading position' is directly and compositionally derived from 'in' (showing position) + 'the' (definite article) + 'lead' (the position/amount by which one is ahead). This is a transparent, literal locative expression following common cross-linguistic patterns, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words will readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

In the lead comes from the simple image of someone standing at the front of a race or line. The word lead means the front, so the phrase means 'ahead of others' or 'in first place'.