I.
noun
1 example set by sb
ADJECTIVE
▪ moral ( esp. BrE )
VERB + LEAD
▪ give , take
▪
The government should give a ~ in tackling racism.
▪ follow
PREPOSITION
▪ ~ in
▪
We should follow their ~ in banning chemical weapons.
▪ ~ on
▪
corporations that have chosen to take the ~ on the privacy issue
2 position ahead of other people
ADJECTIVE
▪ big , clear , comfortable , commanding , good , healthy , huge , significant , sizeable , solid , strong , substantial
▪
For the time being, China has a solid ~ over India.
▪ narrow , slight , slim , small
▪ two-game , three-length , ten-point , etc.
▪ overall
▪ early
VERB + LEAD
▪ be in , gain , have
▪
She has a narrow ~ over the other runners.
▪ go into , move into , take
▪
They took an early ~.
▪ build ( esp. AmE ), build up , establish
▪
The team has now built up a commanding ~.
▪ hold , keep , maintain , retain
▪ lose
▪ regain , retake
▪
They regained the ~ with only a few minutes left to play.
▪ put sb/sth (back) into
▪
That game puts her back into the ~.
▪ extend , increase , open ( esp. AmE ), open up , widen
▪
Houston increased their ~ to 13–7
▪
He had opened up a small ~ over his opponent.
▪ give
PREPOSITION
▪ in the ~ , into the ~
▪
We were struggling to stay in the ~.
▪ ~ over
▪
This win gives the team a two-point ~ over their closest rival.
3 main part in a play, show, etc.
ADJECTIVE
▪ romantic
▪ female , male
VERB + LEAD
▪ play
▪
Her big break came when she was chosen to play the ~ in a Broadway musical.
▪ sing
▪
She sings ~ on four tracks.
LEAD + NOUN
▪ character , role
▪ actor , actress , dancer , singer , vocalist , vocals
▪ guitar , guitarist
4 clue
ADJECTIVE
▪ good , promising , solid
▪
Some promising ~s are already emerging.
▪
They have several solid ~s in their investigation.
▪ new
▪ possible
▪
The police are following every possible ~.
▪ false
▪
It turned out to be a false ~.
VERB + LEAD
▪ have
▪ find , get
▪
Did you find any ~s when you searched it?
▪
At last we got a ~ on the McCreary case.
▪ follow , pursue
▪ give
PREPOSITION
▪ ~ as to
▪
He said that he has a ~ as to where Dylan may be.
▪ ~ on
▪
~s on the murderer's identity
II.
noun
ADJECTIVE
▪ molten
VERB + LEAD
▪ be made of
LEAD + NOUN
▪ pipe , piping
▪ paint
▪ shot
▪ pencil
▪ contamination , exposure , poisoning
▪
Lead exposure can be harmful to everyone, especially young children and babies.
▪ content , levels
▪ industry , mine , mining
III.
verb
Lead is used with these nouns as the subject: ↑ flight , ↑ footpath , ↑ footprint , ↑ general , ↑ idea , ↑ lane , ↑ nerve , ↑ passage , ↑ path , ↑ pipe , ↑ road , ↑ route , ↑ street , ↑ track , ↑ trail , ↑ tunnel , ↑ wire
Lead is used with these nouns as the object: ↑ army , ↑ assault , ↑ attack , ↑ band , ↑ boycott , ↑ brigade , ↑ campaign , ↑ charge , ↑ church , ↑ class , ↑ coalition , ↑ congregation , ↑ contingent , ↑ convoy , ↑ country , ↑ coup , ↑ crew , ↑ crusade , ↑ delegation , ↑ demonstration , ↑ development , ↑ discussion , ↑ division , ↑ effort , ↑ enquiry , ↑ existence , ↑ expedition , ↑ faction , ↑ field , ↑ fight , ↑ follower , ↑ force , ↑ group , ↑ horse , ↑ hunt , ↑ initiative , ↑ insurrection , ↑ investigation , ↑ league , ↑ life , ↑ lifestyle , ↑ march , ↑ mob , ↑ movement , ↑ mutiny , ↑ nation , ↑ negotiation , ↑ opposition , ↑ orchestra , ↑ pack , ↑ panel , ↑ parade , ↑ party , ↑ poll , ↑ pony , ↑ prayer , ↑ procession , ↑ project , ↑ protest , ↑ race , ↑ rebel , ↑ rebellion , ↑ regime , ↑ research , ↑ retreat , ↑ revival , ↑ revolt , ↑ revolution , ↑ rising , ↑ search , ↑ seminar , ↑ side , ↑ singing , ↑ squad , ↑ struggle , ↑ syndicate , ↑ task force , ↑ team , ↑ tour , ↑ tribute , ↑ troops , ↑ uprising , ↑ way , ↑ workshop , ↑ world , ↑ worship
IV.
verb
1 show the way
ADVERB
▪ away , back , on , out
▪
‘Lead on!’ said Casey.
VERB + LEAD
▪ help (to)
▪
Five people helping to ~ a convoy of aid are feared dead.
▪ allow sb to , let sb
▪
Let me ~ the way.
PREPOSITION
▪ along , down , into , out of , through , to , etc.
▪
She led them along a dark corridor to a small room.
PHRASES
▪ ~ the way
▪
You ~ the way and we'll follow.
2 go to a place
ADVERB
▪ directly
▪ back , down , up
▪
An old track led back through the woods.
▪ nowhere , somewhere ( often figurative )
▪
Often there are discoveries which ~ nowhere.
PREPOSITION
▪ from
▪ onto
▪
The glass doors ~ out onto a rooftop garden.
▪ to
▪
a path ~ing from the village to the old church
3 cause
ADVERB
▪ normally , usually
▪ inevitably , inexorably , invariably
▪
Industrialization inevitably led to the expansion of the urban working class.
▪ certainly , likely , undoubtedly
▪
It will almost certainly be a disaster.
▪
Such actions would most likely ~ to the decline of rural communities.
▪ not necessarily
▪
The use of soft drugs does not necessarily ~ to a progression to hard drugs.
▪ automatically
▪
Business success does not automatically ~ to financial success.
▪ naturally
▪
Discussion of a client's tax affairs will ~ naturally into consideration of investment options.
▪ in turn
▪
These measures in turn led to an increased opportunity for independent music production.
▪ directly
▪ indirectly
▪ eventually , finally , ultimately
VERB + LEAD
▪ can , may , might , must
▪ can easily , can only
▪
Sugar and fat can easily ~ to obesity.
▪ may well , might well
▪
The carbon tax might well ~ to a doubling of prices for fossil fuels.
▪ appear to , seem to
▪ be expected to , be likely to , tend to
▪
Worrying about your weight is more likely to ~ to low self-esteem.
▪ be bound to
PREPOSITION
▪ to
▪
the events that led eventually to war