I. ˈ ̷ ̷ˌ ̷ ̷ noun
Etymology: leap (I) + frog
1. : a game in which one player bends down on all fours and another places his hands on the first player's shoulders or back and leaps over him
2. : an act of leapfrogging
aerial assaults, perhaps followed by new amphibious leapfrogs — Time
II. verb
( leapfrogged ; leapfrogged ; leapfrogging ; leapfrogs )
intransitive verb
: to leap or progress in or as if in the game of leapfrog: as
a. : to move from one locality to another in one or more jumps
the vast majority came to our shores and then leapfrogged West — G.W.Pierson
leapfrogging from city to city, lecturing — Bernard Kalb
people leapfrogged from one suburban rim to the other
b. : to pass or go ahead of one another in turn
giant trucks and midget cars leapfrogging along a highway
transitive verb
1. : to go ahead of (each other) in turn : leapfrog over
packaging improvements and sales have been leapfrogging each other — Modern Packaging
arranged to fish alternate pools, leapfrogging each other — Nevil Shute
teams of scientists leapfrog each other, spurting ahead of the column to set up their instruments — Time
specifically : to advance (two military units or parts of two military units) by keeping one unit in action while moving the other unit past or through it to a position farther in front
2. : to evade (an obstacle) by or as if by a bypass or jump
demonstrated its ability to leapfrog defense pacts and unfriendly borders — John Bird
• leapfrogging noun -s