leap

1 of 2

verb

leaped or leapt ˈlēpt How to pronounce leap (audio)
also
ˈlept How to pronounce leap (audio)
; leaping ˈlē-piŋ How to pronounce leap (audio)

intransitive verb

1
: to spring free from or as if from the ground : jump
leap over a fence
a fish leaps out of the water
2
a
: to pass abruptly from one state or topic to another
the difficult leap from college to the workplace
b
: to act precipitately
leaped at the chance

transitive verb

: to pass over by leaping
leaped the wall
leaper noun

leap

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: an act of leaping : spring, bound
b(1)
: a place leaped over or from
(2)
: the distance covered by a leap
2
a
: a sudden passage or transition
a great leap forward
b
: a choice made in an area of ultimate concern
a leap of faith
Phrases
by leaps and bounds
: with extraordinary rapidity
a town growing by leaps and bounds

Examples of leap in a Sentence

Verb The cat suddenly leaped into the air. Fish were leaping out of the water. He leaped off the bridge. The boys leaped over the stream. The horse leaped the stone wall. When the alarm went off, she leapt out of bed. Noun She made a graceful leap into the air. He ran and took a flying leap over the stream. He won the high jump with a leap of six feet. the leap from childhood to adulthood She has shown great leaps in ability. Technology has taken a great leap forward. It required a leap of the imagination to picture how the project would look when it was completed.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The single is set to leap two spots to No. 4, marking his highest chart position to date. Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 9 July 2024 The royal touched his temples and dramatically leaped from his seat during the close game, as did his equerry Lt. Commander Rob Dixon, who sat behind him. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 8 July 2024
Noun
The Gun Violence Archive also recorded 34 mass shootings in 2020, the highest number over the last six years and a leap up from 18 in 2019. Jordan Freiman, CBS News, 8 July 2024 While the leap from self-driving cars to Tinsel Town might not seem obvious, Cameron says that at its heart, the software for self-driving cars is about AI software learning a three-dimensional world from two-dimensional inputs. Ryan Hogg, Fortune, 8 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for leap 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'leap.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English lepen, from Old English hlēapan; akin to Old High German hlouffan to run

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of leap was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near leap

Cite this Entry

“Leap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leap. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.

Kids Definition

leap

1 of 2 verb
leapt ˈlēpt How to pronounce leap (audio)
also
ˈlept How to pronounce leap (audio)
or leaped; leaping ˈlē-piŋ How to pronounce leap (audio)
1
: to spring or cause to spring free from or as if from the ground : jump
leap over a fence
2
a
: to pass suddenly from one state or topic to another
b
: to act hastily
I'd leap at the chance
leaper noun

leap

2 of 2 noun
1
a
: an act of leaping : spring, bound
b
: a place leaped over or from
c
: the distance covered by a leap
2
: a sudden change of state

More from Merriam-Webster on leap

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