go-ahead run: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowSports Journalism, Informal Commentary
Quick answer
What does “go-ahead run” mean?
In baseball, the run that gives a team the lead.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
In baseball, the run that gives a team the lead.
A pivotal scoring action that puts a team ahead in a game; metaphorically, any decisive action that establishes a lead or advantage in a competition.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is almost exclusively American due to its origin in baseball. In British sports contexts, a similar concept might be described as "the winning try" (rugby) or "the goal that put them ahead" (football), but "go-ahead run" itself is not used.
Connotations
In American English: excitement, pivotal moment, clutch performance. In British English: recognized only as a baseball term.
Frequency
Common in American sports media during baseball season; extremely rare to nonexistent in general British English.
Grammar
How to Use “go-ahead run” in a Sentence
[Player/Team] scored the go-ahead run in [inning/period].A [hit/walk/sacrifice fly] brought in the go-ahead run.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “go-ahead run” in a Sentence
adjective
American English
- He hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh. (Here 'go-ahead' modifies 'homer', describing the hit that produced the go-ahead run.)
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Metaphorically used to describe a pivotal deal or action that gives a company a competitive edge (e.g., 'The new contract was the go-ahead run for the startup').
Academic
Rarely used; potential use in sports history or sociology papers analyzing pivotal moments in games.
Everyday
Almost exclusively in conversations about baseball or when using a sports metaphor among familiar audiences.
Technical
Precise term in baseball statistics and game commentary.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “go-ahead run”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “go-ahead run”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “go-ahead run”
- Using it for a run that extends an existing lead (that's an 'insurance run').
- Using it as an adjective for a player ('the go-ahead runner' is incorrect; it's 'the runner who scored the go-ahead run').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Often, but not always. The go-ahead run gives a team the lead. If the team maintains that lead until the end, it becomes the winning run. However, if the other team later scores and retakes the lead, the original go-ahead run would not be the winning run.
It is a baseball-specific term. While the concept exists in all sports (a score that takes the lead), the exact phrase 'go-ahead run' is not standard in other sports like football or rugby.
A go-ahead run changes a tie or deficit into a lead. An insurance run is scored after the team already has the lead, extending it to make a comeback by the opponent less likely.
Yes, when used as a compound modifier before a noun (e.g., go-ahead run, go-ahead hit). When used predictively ('the run that put them ahead'), hyphenation is less common but the term is typically still treated as a fixed phrase.
In baseball, the run that gives a team the lead.
Go-ahead run is usually sports journalism, informal commentary in register.
Go-ahead run: in British English it is pronounced /ˈɡəʊ əˌhed ˈrʌn/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈɡoʊ əˌhed ˈrʌn/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Deliver in the clutch”
- “Come through when it counts”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a runner 'going ahead' of the opponent on the scoreboard. The 'go-ahead' run puts your team 'ahead' to 'go' and win.
Conceptual Metaphor
COMPETITION IS A RACE (the run that puts you in the lead).
Practice
Quiz
In which sport is the term 'go-ahead run' primarily used?