ahead
adverb or adjective
1
a
: in a forward direction or position : forward
b
: in front
2
: in, into, or for the future
plan ahead
3
: in or toward a more advantageous position
helped others to get ahead
4
: at or to an earlier time : in advance
make payments ahead
5
a
: in or into a leading position in a race or competition
a politician who is running ahead in most polls
Josh Carter scored from a yard out and the Pride added a two-point conversion to surge ahead 14-7.—
Cumberland (Maryland) Times-News
Cumberland (Maryland) Times-News
b
baseball
(1)
of a pitcher
: in or into the situation of having thrown more strikes than balls to a batter
Home run threat Mark Reynolds was up next with the bases loaded, but Colon quickly got ahead 1-2 in the count and struck the third baseman out swinging with a … fastball.—Ray Monell
Ray Monell
(2)
of a batter
: in or into the situation of having a count of more balls than strikes
Albert Pujols got ahead 3-1 and then lined one into the seats in left for his 20th home run of the year and second of the series.—John Fay
John FayExamples of ahead in a Sentence
call ahead for reservations
sent me ahead to get a place in the check-out line while she went to get the eggs and milk
the line moved ahead at a snail's pace
Recent Examples on the Web
Wolverine Worldwide stated in its footnotes that risk factors ahead include price increases, risks associated with foreign sourcing, tariffs, as well as economic conditions, such as inflationary pressures, employment rates and interest rates.
—Susan Tompor, USA Today, 20 May 2025
The task ahead, though common in the transfer portal era of college football for recent first-year coaches such as Lincoln Riley at USC, Deion Sanders at Colorado and Jeff Brohm at Louisville, is new for Belichick.
—David Ubben, New York Times, 19 May 2025
The analyst expects greater stability in terms of demand ahead, given recent positive comments from Delta executives, which could be a tailwind for the broader segment.
—Brian Evans, CNBC, 19 May 2025
The Gilded Age ended as the 19th century closed its eyes, and the world got jolted into the brutal events of the century ahead.
—Mary Forgione, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ahead
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Susan Tompor, USA Today, 20 May 2025
The task ahead, though common in the transfer portal era of college football for recent first-year coaches such as Lincoln Riley at USC, Deion Sanders at Colorado and Jeff Brohm at Louisville, is new for Belichick.
—David Ubben, New York Times, 19 May 2025
The analyst expects greater stability in terms of demand ahead, given recent positive comments from Delta executives, which could be a tailwind for the broader segment.
—Brian Evans, CNBC, 19 May 2025
The Gilded Age ended as the 19th century closed its eyes, and the world got jolted into the brutal events of the century ahead.
—Mary Forgione, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ahead
Cite this Entry
“Ahead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ahead. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ahead
adverb or adjective1
: in or toward the front
the road ahead
go ahead
2
: in, into, or for the future
think ahead
3
: in or toward a better position
came out $20 ahead on the deal
4
: at or to an earlier time : in advance
make payments ahead
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