Lead us to her killer vs Show

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Lead us to her killer

Top 5,000 (fairly common)

Show

High-frequency chunkA1verb
Most common: Show
 Lead us to her killerShow
Pronunciation🇬🇧 //liːd ʌs tuː hɜːr ˈkɪlər//🇺🇸 //lid ʌs tu hɜr ˈkɪlər//🇬🇧 /["/ʃəʊ/","/ʃəʊz/","/ʃəʊd/","/ʃəʊn/","/ˈʃəʊɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ʃəʊ/","/ʃəʊz/","/ʃəʊd/","/ʃəʊn/","/ˈʃəʊɪŋ/"]/
MeaningHelp us find the person who killed her.to let someone see something
ExampleThe witness agreed to lead us to her killer.Can you show me how to solve this math problem?
RegisterNeutralNeutral
How commonTop 5,000 (fairly common)High-frequency chunk
CEFR level-A1
Part of speechverb
Collocationslead to justice, lead the investigation, lead us forward, lead a search, lead the chargeclearly, conclusively, convincingly, appear to, seem to, go to, to, a chance to show something, clearly, conclusively, convincingly, appear to, seem to, go to, to, a chance to show something, clearly, conclusively, convincingly, appear to, seem to, go to, to, a chance to show something, clearly, conclusively, convincingly, appear to, seem to, go to, to, a chance to show something, clearly, conclusively, convincingly, appear to, seem to, go to, to, a chance to show something, hardly, begin to, let something, hardly, begin to, let something, clearly, conclusively, convincingly, appear to, seem to, go to, to, a chance to show something, clearly, conclusively, convincingly, appear to, seem to, go to, to, a chance to show something, clearly, conclusively, convincingly, appear to, seem to, go to, to, a chance to show something
Antonyms-hide, conceal, cover
Common mistakesUsing 'led' instead of 'lead' in present tense, Confusing 'lead' with 'lead' (the metal), Omitting 'us' and saying just 'lead to her killer'Confused with 'exhibit' in formal contexts, Using incorrectly as a noun instead of a verb, Confusing the past tense 'showed' with 'shown'
Usage notesThis phrase is often used in discussions about investigations or solving crimes. It's appropriate in formal settings, such as police work, but can also be used colloquially.Use 'show' when presenting something to someone. Avoid in very formal contexts; instead, use 'demonstrate'. Common in everyday conversation.

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Lead us to her killer

Frequently asked questions: Lead us to her killer vs Show

What's the difference between Lead us to her killer and Show?

Lead us to her killer: Help us find the person who killed her. Show: to let someone see something

Which is more common: Lead us to her killer and Show?

Show is the most common in everyday English.

Can you show an example of each?

Lead us to her killer: The witness agreed to lead us to her killer. Show: Can you show me how to solve this math problem?

Can I use Lead us to her killer and Show interchangeably?

Not always. Lead us to her killer and Show are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.

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