Thesaurus.com
Dictionary.com
Definitions

lead-in

[leed-in] / ˈlidˌɪn /
NOUN
introduction
Synonyms
STRONGEST
foreword
STRONG
addition admittance awakening baptism beginning commencement debut essentials establishment exordium inauguration inception induction influx ingress initiation insertion installation institution interpolation intro launch lead opening overture preamble preface preliminaries prelude presentation primer prolegomenon prologue survey
WEAK
basic principles basic text first acquaintance first taste opening remarks pioneering proem
Antonyms
STRONG
close closing completion conclusion end ending epilogue finish termination

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead are scheduled to speak with reporters on Tuesday during a news conference as a lead-in to the NFL draft, which begins Thursday in Pittsburgh.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 20, 2026

Though munitions are being deployed at a rapid pace, due to long lead-in times for procurement and production, there is a lag until any increased demand can be met.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

Its episodic encores are currently airing on Fox as a lead-in to “The Faithful,” whose showrunner, René Echevarria, is an old hand at both network and cable, and whose work includes “The 4400.”

From Salon • Mar. 29, 2026

Later I switched to “Some Kind of Wonderful” by Grand Funk Railroad for a simple reason: Whenever she’s around my heart beats in rhythm with the 1974 tune’s powerful drum lead-in.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026

The anchor’s lead-in: Adoptions are about giving new homes to children who don’t have families.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng

Vocabulary lists containing lead-in

myPerspectives 10.3

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!