incline

play

verb in·cline \ in-ˈklīn \

Definition of incline

inclined; inclining

intransitive verb

1 :to bend the head or body forward :bow

2 :to lean, tend, or become drawn toward an opinion or course of conduct

3 :to deviate from a line, direction, or course; specifically :to deviate from the vertical or horizontal

transitive verb

1 :to cause to stoop or bow :bend

2 :to have influence on :persuade

his love of books inclined him toward a literary career

3 :to give a bend or slant to

—

incliner

noun

See incline defined for English-language learners

See incline defined for kids

Examples of incline in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of incline from the Web

The Trump administration is reported to be favorably inclined to the idea.

— michael tanner, National Review, "No to Coal Subsidies, No to Corporate Welfare," 16 Aug. 2017
Keep repetitions within the 8-10 range for bench presses and incline bench presses and 10-12 for flyes.

— ajc homepage, ajc, "Try these 5 workouts for a better bust line," 16 Aug. 2017
Given these shifts in fortune, investors have been inclined to sell dollar holdings while shifting the proceeds into euros.

— peter s. goodman, The Seattle Times, "The dollar and Trump: a currency safe haven is feeling less safe," 9 Aug. 2017
Doyle and his colleagues say that second-borns (particularly boys) are inclined to be more rebellious than their older siblings.

— katina beniaris, Country Living, "Second-Born Children Are More Likely to Be Troublemakers Than Their Siblings," 11 July 2017
Japan Tobacco has emphasized that Ploom Tech’s biggest merit is its lack of smell, which may attract Japanese consumers inclined to show consideration in public.

— lisa du, Bloomberg.com, "Japan Tobacco Chases Marlboro Man's Maker in Smokeless Race," 28 June 2017
The social network introduced a special new easter egg for those inclined to post about the magical series.

— melissa minton, Teen Vogue, "Facebook Implements Magical Easter Egg for Posts About Harry Potter," 26 June 2017
Still, Capito is a newer senator not known for bucking leadership, and might be inclined to join her colleagues to pass the bill.

— NOLA.com, "Bill Cassidy one of nine senators who could make or break Obamacare repeal effort," 21 June 2017
Relatively minor points in his testimony easily can be inflated to marquee status by outlets inclined to shield the president from the former FBI director's central criticisms.

— callum borchers, Washington Post, "How the pro-Trump media covered the Comey trial," 8 June 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of incline

Middle English, from Anglo-French incliner, encliner, from Latin inclinare, from in- + clinare to lean — more at lean

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

incline Synonyms

Synonyms

angle, cant, cock, heel, lean, list, pitch, slant, slope, tilt, tip

Related Words

bank; bend, deviate, swerve, veer; decline, descend, recline, retreat

Near Antonyms

even, flatten, level, straighten

Synonym Discussion of incline

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?

incline

play

noun in·cline \ ˈin-ˌklīn \

Definition of incline

:an inclined plane :grade, slope

See incline defined for English-language learners

Examples of incline in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of incline from the Web

Beasley said his house is built on an incline, but his street and driveway are underwater.

— grant wahl, SI.com, "Dynamo's Beasley Has His Thoughts with Houston, More USMNT Training Notes," 28 Aug. 2017
As a garden tractor pulls the sled, a weight box moves up an incline until the tractor can pull no more.

— denise coffey, Courant Community, "Competing For Love Of Garden Tractors And Family," 17 Aug. 2017
Mostly, his lift program is based on five key body actions: Push, pull, carry, incline, squat.

— patrick brennan, Cincinnati.com, "Inside Xavier basketball's summer workouts," 16 Aug. 2017
The man had been mowing shortly after 2 p.m. on an incline at a friend's house in the 16000 block of Griswold Springs Road in Little Rock Township, authorities said.

— linda girardi, Aurora Beacon-News, "Yorkville man killed after being pinned under lawn mower," 10 Aug. 2017
The plane hit an incline near a local highway, jumped across the road and crashed into a wire fence, causing damage to the plane's landing gear, wing and nose.

— thomas novelly, The Courier-Journal, "Louisville pilot, passenger crash plane in Ohio," 10 Aug. 2017
The truck, which was on an incline, rolled backward, striking the man and killing him.

— carrie wells, baltimoresun.com, "Man in Columbia killed when truck rolls backward," 1 Aug. 2017
The expansion, which includes an incline as the 8,000-foot runway rises above Federal Highway, had been planned for more than 30 years.

— larry barszewski, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Noise relief arriving near Fort Lauderdale airport, but complaints are rising," 30 June 2017
The design is approved for sleep, which is particularly great for children who have reflux or stuffy passages and need to be on an incline to aid digestion.

— rachel rothman, Good Housekeeping, "Jonathan Adler Crafted by Fisher-Price Deluxe Rock 'n Play Sleeper," 24 June 2017

First Known Use of incline

1798

incline Synonyms

Synonyms

cant, diagonal, grade, gradient, inclination, slant, lean, pitch, rake, slope, tilt, upgrade

Related Words

ascent, bank, climb, rise

Near Antonyms

declension, declination, decline, declivity, descent, dip, downgrade, fall, hang, hanging, receding

INCLINE Defined for English Language Learners

incline

play

verb

Definition of incline for English Language Learners

: to bend forward or to cause (something) to bend forward
: to lean or slope
: to cause (someone) to want to do something or to be likely to do something

incline

play

noun

Definition of incline for English Language Learners

: a slanting surface

INCLINE Defined for Kids

incline

play

verb in·cline \ in-ˈklīn \

Definition of incline for Students

inclined; inclining

1 :to cause to bend or lean

She inclined her head.

2 :²slope, lean

incline

play

noun in·cline \ ˈin-ˌklīn \

Definition of incline for Students

:¹slope 2

a steep incline

Learn More about incline

See words that rhyme with incline Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for incline Spanish Central: Translation of incline Nglish: Translation of incline for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of incline for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up incline? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

incline

Definition of incline

incliner

Explore Merriam-Webster

Examples of incline in a Sentence

Recent Examples of incline from the Web

Origin and Etymology of incline

incline Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Synonym Discussion of incline

incline

Definition of incline

Examples of incline in a Sentence

Recent Examples of incline from the Web

First Known Use of incline

incline Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Phrases Related to INCLINE

Related Phrases

INCLINE Defined for English Language Learners

incline

Definition of incline for English Language Learners

incline

Definition of incline for English Language Learners

INCLINE Defined for Kids

incline

Definition of incline for Students

incline

Definition of incline for Students

Learn More about incline

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'

Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

These Are Fighting Words

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Words of the Year: 1066