have/hold the lead
idiom
: to be in the winning position in a race or competition
A runner from Kenya has/holds the lead.
Examples of have/hold the lead in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Tatis would score on a single by Gavin Sheets, and the Padres would have the lead after a half-inning for the third time in three days against a historically bad team that by the end of the day would fire its manager.
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Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 May 2025
Yet as has become so often the case recently, the bullpen couldn’t hold the lead.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 10 May 2025
Several of the artists who already hold the lead for most wins in their categories could extend their leads this year.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 23 Apr. 2025
Scottie Scheffler has the best odds to have the lead after the opening round at +1200, followed by Rory McIlroy and Collin Morikawa.
—Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for have/hold the lead
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Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 May 2025
Yet as has become so often the case recently, the bullpen couldn’t hold the lead.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 10 May 2025
Several of the artists who already hold the lead for most wins in their categories could extend their leads this year.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 23 Apr. 2025
Scottie Scheffler has the best odds to have the lead after the opening round at +1200, followed by Rory McIlroy and Collin Morikawa.
—Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for have/hold the lead
Cite this Entry
“Have/hold the lead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/have%2Fhold%20the%20lead. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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