Synonyms for lead

verb

• be in charge of
• take somebody somewhere
• produce as a result or residue
• be conducive to
• lead, as in the performance of a composition
• travel in front of; go in advance of others
• lead, extend, or afford access
• move ahead (of others) in time or space
• preside over
• cause something to pass or lead somewhere
• stretch out over a distance, space, time, or scope; run or extend between two points or beyond a certain point
• be ahead of others; be the first
• cause to undertake a certain action
• tend to or result in

noun

• the introductory section of a story
• a jumper that consists of a short piece of wire
• a news story of major importance
• a soft heavy toxic malleable metallic element; bluish white when freshly cut but tarnishes readily to dull grey
• an actor who plays a principal role
• evidence pointing to a possible solution
• thin strip of metal used to separate lines of type in printing
• restraint consisting of a rope (or light chain) used to restrain an animal
• the timing of ignition relative to the position of the piston in an internal-combustion engine
• an indication of potential opportunity
• mixture of graphite with clay in different degrees of hardness; the marking substance in a pencil
• an advantage held by a competitor in a race
• a position of being the initiator of something and an example that others will follow (especially in the phrase `take the lead')
• (baseball) the position taken by a base runner preparing to advance to the next base
• (sports) the score by which a team or individual is winning
• the angle between the direction a gun is aimed and the position of a moving target (correcting for the flight time of the missile)
• the playing of a card to start a trick in bridge