Meaning:
affirmative pleading 
n.
any defensive pleading that affirms facts rather than merely denying the facts alleged by the plaintiff
open up a (one's) lead Idiom, Proverb
blind leading the blind
someone who doesn
get the lead out
move faster, hurry, move it, shake a leg The coach told me to get the lead out - to get moving.
go over like a lead balloon
fail to generate a positive response The sales manager's latest proposal went over like a lead balloon at the meeting
lead a dog
live a hard life, work hard and be treated unkindly He says that he has been leading a dog
lead a life
have a style of living, have a way of life With your career and children, you lead a busy life.
lead a merry chase
delay or escape capture by someone, make a person work hard He led the investigators on a merry chase before they finally arrested him.
lead by the nose
make or persuade someone to do anything you want My sister has been leading her husband by the nose since they got married.
lead off
begin, start, open The golfer was the first to lead off in the tournament.
lead on
insincerely encourage I think he was leading me on when he told me about the new job.
lead pipe cinch
certain of the result, a foregone conclusion The Jets are a lead pipe cinch to win the game. They're better.
An open up a (one's) lead idiom dictionary is a great resource for writers, students, and anyone looking to expand their vocabulary. It contains a list of words with similar meanings with open up a (one's) lead, allowing users to choose the best word for their specific context.
Dictionary of similar words, Different wording, Synonyms, Idioms for Idiom, Proverb open up a (one's) lead