lead off

plural lead offs

1. ball gamesThe first batter in the batting order.

   Jones has been the team's lead off hitter for three years.

2. ball gamesThe first batter of an inning.

   The lead off hitter for the sixth inning is Jones.

3. ball gamesThe short distance that a player stands away from their current base.
4. broadcastingThe first item in a broadcast schedule.

present singular third person leads off · participle present leading off · participle past led off · past led off

1. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see lead, off.

   The kitchen and the lounge lead off from the hallway.

   1 more example

   Hu, 79, Xi Jinping's immediate predecessor, was seated to the left of Xi. He was led off the stage of the main auditorium of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing by two stewards, a Reuters witness at the congress said.

   2022 October 22, Eduardo Baptista, Ryan Woo, “Former Chinese president Hu Jintao escorted out of party congress”, in Robert Birsel, Lincoln Feast, William Mallard, editors, Reuters, archived from the original on 22 Oct 2022

2. ball gamesTo be the first batter of an inning.

   Jones led off the inning with a home run.

   1 more example

   Jones is leading off an inning for the third time in the game.

3. broadlyTo be the first of any set, especially the first person in a group to speak; to launch or begin something by speaking.