Illustration of lever
- lever 2a
1
a
: a bar used for prying or dislodging something
b
: an inducing or compelling force : tool
use food as a political lever—
Time
Time2
a
: a rigid piece that transmits and modifies force or motion when forces are applied at two points and it turns about a third
specifically
: a rigid bar used to exert a pressure or sustain a weight at one point of its length by the application of a force at a second and turning at a third on a fulcrum
b
: a projecting piece by which a mechanism (see mechanism sense 1) is operated or adjusted
levered; levering
ˈle-və-riŋ 
ˈlē-;
ˈlev-riŋ,
ˈlēv-
1
: to pry, raise, or move with or as if with a lever
2
: to operate (a device) in the manner of a lever
Examples of lever in a Sentence
Noun
They used their money as a lever to gain political power.
Verb
He levered the rock out of the hole.
the workers used crowbars to lever the heavy stone block into its new position
Recent Examples on the Web
Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
De minimis began as a modest tax provision, but has widened to become a fixture of e-commerce — and a trade policy lever.
—semafor.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Jim Cramer, CNBC, 14 Aug. 2025
Enter bitcoin treasury companies – a new wave of public equities seeking a far more explicit and truly levered connection to bitcoin’s price.
—Edan Yago, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for lever
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
Google Cloud is a direct lever for outsized growth.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
De minimis began as a modest tax provision, but has widened to become a fixture of e-commerce — and a trade policy lever.
—semafor.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Verb
What else is new when you’re levered to China and charge more than anyone else?
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 14 Aug. 2025
Enter bitcoin treasury companies – a new wave of public equities seeking a far more explicit and truly levered connection to bitcoin’s price.
—Edan Yago, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for lever
Cite this Entry
“Lever.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lever. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
1
: a bar used to pry or move something
2
: a stiff bar for applying a force (as for lifting a weight) at one point of its length by effort at a second point and turning at a third point on a fulcrum
3
: a bar or rod used to run or adjust something
a gearshift lever
Etymology
Noun
Middle English lever "bar for prying," from early French levier (same meaning), from lever (verb) "to raise," from Latin levare "to raise" — related to elevate
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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