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lede

/lid/
IPA guide

In news reporting, the lede is the main idea in the first few lines of a story. Most writers work hard to make the lede interesting and accurate.

While this word is sometimes spelled lead, and either way rhymes with reed, it's especially common in American journalism to use lede. The phrase "to bury the lede" means to unwittingly neglect to emphasize the very most important part of the story — a no-no in journalism. The unusual spelling comes from an attempt to distinguish the word from the "metal" meaning of lead, which rhymes with bed.

Definitions of lede
  1. noun
    the introductory section of a story
    synonyms: lead, lead-in
    see moresee less
    type of:
    section, subdivision
    a self-contained part of a larger composition (written or musical)
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘lede'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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