leverage

1 of 2

noun

le·​ver·​age ˈle-və-rij How to pronounce leverage (audio)
ˈlē-;
ˈlev-rij,
ˈlēv-
1
: the action of a lever or the mechanical advantage gained by it
2
: power, effectiveness
trying to gain more political leverage
3
: the use of credit to enhance one's speculative capacity

leverage

2 of 2

verb

leveraged; leveraging

transitive verb

1
: to provide (something, such as a corporation) or supplement (something, such as money) with leverage
also : to enhance as if by supplying with financial leverage
2
: to use for gain : exploit
shamelessly leverage the system to their advantageAlexander Wolff

Examples of leverage in a Sentence

Noun The union's size gave it leverage in the labor contract negotiations. The player's popularity has given him a great deal of leverage with the owners of the team. I used the leverage of the bar and a wooden block to pry the rock out of the hole. Verb The company wants to leverage its brands more effectively. a reality show contestant who's trying to leverage her 15 minutes of fame
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Even a year after that exact thing happened — Silicon Valley Bank failed after depositor demand eclipsed the value of its assets — regulators haven’t addressed the core leverage issue. Allison Morrow, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 Some of your Democratic colleagues disagree with you about this, and about the need to use more leverage with the Israeli government. Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2024 Such arrangements are often negotiated independently, but only by songwriters with the leverage to demand them, or others generous enough to share them. Jem Aswad, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024 Maintaining this leverage is one reason the United States and the EU should be wary of economic decoupling from China. Max Bergmann, Foreign Affairs, 6 Mar. 2024 As Corbett enters the final year of his contract, the Panthers could look to extend him on a short-term pact to lower his cap number with leverage on their side. Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 4 Mar. 2024 Get online In an era where digital presence is key, leverage cost-effective digital marketing strategies. Virginia H, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 And that gives Japan some leverage in the chip industry. Lionel Lim, Fortune Asia, 2 Mar. 2024 But Johnson and his raucous House Republican conference have very little leverage to exact those spending cuts or policy wins. Jacob Bogage, Washington Post, 29 Feb. 2024
Verb
That in turn unlocks the massive cost savings that will enable business models that leverage all of those airports. Michael Barnard, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024 While the inner workings of their AI may be under wraps, the results speak for themselves, with sellers nationwide leveraging these features to gain a competitive advantage. Chris Gallagher, The Arizona Republic, 2 Mar. 2024 The Houses, set to open in 2025, will leverage Netflix’s hit franchises like Stranger Things and Squid Game, rotating exhibits based on whatever is popular at the time. Rachyl Jones, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2024 The Value of the Forest Big-model A.I. leverages existing data. Jaron Lanier, The New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2024 Not only will the bureau allow police to better leverage their limited resources while allowing a more holistic approach to mental health responses. The Indianapolis Star, 1 Mar. 2024 In appearances some 300 miles apart in Texas, Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump tried to leverage what is likely to become the most volatile policy dispute of the 2024 campaign. Erica L. Green, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024 This demonstrates a deep understanding of the multifaceted climate crisis and a commitment to leveraging Silicon Valley innovation in policymaking. Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 29 Feb. 2024 The move came in response to increasing pressure and a Europe-wide ban on leveraging the trove of user data to target them with ads without their consent. Stephanie Bodoni, Fortune Europe, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'leverage.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1830, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1957, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of leverage was in 1830

Dictionary Entries Near leverage

Cite this Entry

“Leverage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leverage. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

leverage

noun
le·​ver·​age
ˈlev-(ə-)rij,
ˈlēv-
: the action of a lever or the increase in force gained by using a lever

Legal Definition

leverage

1 of 2 noun
le·​ver·​age ˈle-vrij, -və-rij How to pronounce leverage (audio)
: the use of credit to enhance one's speculative capacity

leverage

2 of 2 transitive verb
leveraged; leveraging
: to provide (as a corporation) or supplement (as money) with leverage

More from Merriam-Webster on leverage

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