Definition of INCLINE

Choose the Right Synonym for incline

Verb

incline, bias, dispose, predispose mean to influence one to have or take an attitude toward something. incline implies a tendency to favor one of two or more actions or conclusions. I incline to agree bias suggests a settled and predictable leaning in one direction and connotes unfair prejudice. the experience biased him against foreigners dispose suggests an affecting of one's mood or temper so as to incline one toward something. her nature disposes her to trust others predispose implies the operation of a disposing influence well in advance of the opportunity to manifest itself. does fictional violence predispose them to accept real violence?

Examples of incline in a Sentence

Verb

She listened with her eyes closed and her head inclined. The road inclines at an angle of about 12 degrees. His love of books inclined him toward a literary career.

Noun

We drove up a steep incline to the summit. You can adjust the incline of the ramp.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Chris Giunchigliani, a former member of the Clark County Commission who ran for governor last year as a progressive insurgent, said after attending Ms. Warren’s event in Las Vegas that she was inclined to back the Massachusetts populist. — Alexander Burns, New York Times, "Warren and Harris Rise in Democratic Primary, Challenging Male Front-Runners," 7 July 2019 That suggested that it's now inclined to begin cutting rates for the first time in more than a decade. — Martin Crutsinger, chicagotribune.com, "Fed leaves its key interest rate unchanged but hints at future cuts," 19 June 2019 The tentative decision shows again that Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and his colleagues are inclined to put off rulings on culture war controversies. — David G. Savage, latimes.com, "Supreme Court passes, for now, on a new wedding cake dispute," 17 June 2019 But even if you were inclined to miss the message, the music of M.A.K.U. Soundsystem is pulsing and joyous on its own. — John Adamian, courant.com, "M.A.K.U. Soundsystem’s activist message at Real Art Ways," 14 June 2019 Ma designed a program to reach these parents through doctors, using materials written in their own languages and delivered through a source they were inclined to trust. — Cathleen O'grady, Ars Technica, "Cultural barriers still stand in the way of HPV vaccine uptake," 4 Nov. 2018 Breweries are making public appeals to thirsty customers, hoping they’ll be inclined to return their empty bottles. — Michelle Gant, Fox News, "Germans say beer cans are 'cheap' and 'trashy' despite threat of bottle shortage," 15 Aug. 2018 Some teams, if inclined to dramatically change the makeup of their rosters, will have to do so through trades this summer. — Tim Reynolds, orlandosentinel.com, "NBA shifts focus to free agency after draft dust settles," 23 June 2019 The characters of Pose, the house mothers and queens and LGBTQ voguers who congregated in Season 1 to compete against each other’s exuberant charades, are asserting their presence in a world that’s usually ill-inclined to receive it. — Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, "Pose Lets In the Light," 12 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Bonus tip: carbo-load on pizza and pasta in North Beach before hiking the steep incline to the top. — Condé Nast Traveler, "Where to Watch Fourth of July Fireworks in San Francisco," 4 July 2019 He was pinned between his Jeep and a brick wall outside his Los Angeles home after the Jeep had rolled backwards down a steep incline. — Marianne Garvey, CNN, "Chris Pine remembers Anton Yelchin in new documentary about the late actor," 11 June 2019 My father must have dropped to his knees to film me, a three year-old, determined and stumbling, climbing and crawling up the steep incline in the dry, summer heat. — Danny Lyon, The New York Review of Books, "Home Is Where the Heart Is: A Return to Perry, Utah," 31 May 2019 Indeed, while her sound inclines toward the electro-pop stylings of Grimes and Mozart’s Sister, Sama bears a deep-set admiration for the divas of our time. — Vogue, "A New Class of Bright, Young Things—from Riverdale Heartthrobs to Underground Musicians—Lets Loose in L.A.," 15 Feb. 2019 The bikes and scooters are relatively accessible, fairly inexpensive, great on hot Texas days traveling up steep Hill Country inclines, and plain old fun! — Alissa Walker, Curbed, "How 7 Americans got around their cities in 2018," 27 Dec. 2018 Now The Joshua Tree House, $225 per night for 6 people Ride the Aerial Tramway Experience Coachella Valley's scenic vistas, sans incline, by taking the state park's aerial tramway to the summit. — Charlotte Chilton, Town & Country, "What to Do on Your Next Trip to Palm Springs," 5 Mar. 2019 The bikes and scooters are relatively accessible, fairly inexpensive, great on hot Texas days traveling up steep Hill Country inclines, and plain old fun! — Alissa Walker, Curbed, "How 7 Americans got around their cities in 2018," 27 Dec. 2018 However, the highway, which was constructed in 1930s by King Haakon VII, also boasts 11 hairpin turns, a steep incline and the Stigfossen Waterfall, which surges down the mountainside. — Olivia Putnal, Woman's Day, "10 Awe-Inspiring Roads Around the World," 19 Oct. 2010

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'incline.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.