lede

noun

ˈlēd 

: the introductory section of a news story that is intended to entice the reader to read the full story

The BBC buried the lede [=did not emphasize the most important information] when it reported that the number of millionaires increased by 5.2 million last year. … The bigger news … is that membership in the global middle class has exploded over the last two decades.

—Ronald Bailey

Examples of lede in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And that’s how a night out with a new friend turned into a reporting assignment, and eventually the lede of Kendra’s story. — Colette Davidson, Christian Science Monitor, 5 Oct. 2026

My nephrologist appointment was supposed to be the triumphant lede - the moment a woman walked in prepared in a way the system never made possible before. — Amy Shoenthal, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026

After cementing her legacy as a legendary comedian with a record-breaking show that will polish the lede to her future obituary, Deborah Vance is ready for her next applause. — Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 29 May 2026

But right now, talk about voluntary workouts and the camaraderie in the defensive meeting rooms is just burying the lede. — Zac Jackson, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

alteration of lead entry 2

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined above