WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

lead off
    v 1: teach immoral behavior to; "It was common practice to lead
         off the young ones, and teach them bad habits" [syn: lead
         off, lead astray]
    2: set in motion, cause to start; "The U.S. started a war in the
       Middle East"; "The Iraqis began hostilities"; "begin a new
       chapter in your life" [syn: begin, lead off, start,
       commence] [ant: end, terminate]

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

39 Moby Thesaurus words for "lead off":
   antecede, break ground, break the ice, come before, come first,
   commence, create, embark, enter, front, go ahead of, go before,
   go in advance, have priority, head, head the table, head up,
   inaugurate, initiate, invent, kick off, launch, lead, lead the way,
   open, originate, outrank, pioneer, precede, rank, rate, set to,
   stand first, start, take precedence, take the initiative,
   take the lead, take the plunge, usher in