How to Use lead time in a Sentence

lead time

noun
Definition of lead timenext
  • We will need at least six months lead time before production begins.
  • That includes slowing down, because freight ships already take long, steady journeys that can absorb some extra lead time.
    — Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 7 Oct. 2020
  • Use that, and your five-year lead time, to be thoughtful and proactive about what your husband’s intransigence means — and doesn’t mean — for you.
    — Washington Post, 15 Jan. 2021
  • Since this is made-to-order ammunition, customers can expect a three- to four-week lead time to produce each order.
    — Field & Stream, 2 Oct. 2020
  • The cable and streaming networks, dealing with fewer original shows and more lead time, have been less jolted by the shutdown.
    — Mike Hughes, The Enquirer, 24 Sep. 2020
  • The lead time has also grown: A five-day track forecast today is as accurate as a three-day one was in 2001.
    — Alejandra Borunda, National Geographic, 23 Oct. 2020
  • This meant those Americans would have to validate self-employment income, for the first time ever, with little to no lead time.
    — Jon Coss, Fortune, 25 Nov. 2020
  • Bak’s team would, with two weeks lead time, have to figure out the steps and then send it to Van Plew’s team, which would translate it for an industrial scale.
    — Carolyn Y. Johnson, Anchorage Daily News, 1 Oct. 2020
  • The good news is that Oregon has plenty of lead time before most Oregonians will actually have a choice to get the coronavirus vaccine.
    — oregonlive, 24 Dec. 2020
  • Addressing these shortcomings should help attract foreign investment and multinationals looking to shorten supply chain lead times.
    — Richard Feinberg, Foreign Affairs, 14 Dec. 2021
  • Despite acres of lead time, Trump and the Republican National Committee came up with a muddled message.
    — Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 13 Aug. 2020
  • In its defense, the company told the BBB last year that subscriptions are subject to a long lead time of 10 to 12 weeks from their publishers.
    — Dave Lieber, Dallas News, 8 Oct. 2020
  • The average lead time for a tornado is about 13 minutes; typically enough time to put a safety plan into action, according to the presentation.
    — Teri Webster, Dallas News, 7 Sep. 2020
  • While many of the pies on this list ship within a few days, some have a longer lead time.
    — Kathleen Felton, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Nov. 2023
  • Keep in Mind: This bed has a lead time of eight to 12 weeks from the time of ordering.
    — Maria Conti, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Jan. 2023
  • The routines last only a minute or so, but there isn’t much lead time.
    — David Wharton, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2022
  • For rural areas, the lead time can be as much as five days.
    — Steve Banker, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2021
  • In China, the cheaper models have a lead time of 2 days.
    — Chris Smith, BGR, 29 Nov. 2022
  • And yes, the NWS has been on top of storm warnings -- offering lots of lead time.
    — Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 29 July 2023
  • Floods are harder, with a much shorter lead time, as storms or fronts stall.
    — Paul Douglas, Star Tribune, 21 July 2021
  • The normal lead time for commercial ads was four to six months, and now it’s been cut down to two or three.
    — Phil Wahba, Fortune, 26 May 2023
  • Strong conceded that there was less lead time for the Jan. 3 snowstorm than is often the case.
    — Washington Post, 13 Jan. 2022
  • Each chair is made to order, so expect a lead time of six weeks, plus time for shipping.
    — Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2021
  • Why does data indicate that the lead time has dropped since 2011?
    — USA Today, 17 June 2021
  • The offer is valid until the end of August and requires a 14-day lead time for booking.
    — Doug Gollan, Forbes, 4 May 2021
  • Part of the problem is the lead time needed to make influenza vaccines.
    — Maggie Fox, CNN, 16 Dec. 2021
  • Interest in an item dropped by almost 40 percent when the lead time upped from two to five days.
    — Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 1 Mar. 2022
  • The seven working days lead time allowed the company to pull shipments out in front of the lock down.
    — Steve Banker, Forbes, 12 Aug. 2022
  • Wastewater testing can predict new outbreaks with a lead time of one to two weeks.
    — William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 13 Sep. 2021
  • Right now, one of the main goals is to extend the lead time for forecasts of how disruptive a geomagnetic storm will be.
    — Umair Irfan, Vox, 14 May 2024

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

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