incline

verb

in·cline | \ in-ˈklīn

inclined; inclining

Definition of incline

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

incline

noun

in·cline | \ ˈin-ˌklīn

Definition of incline (Entry 2 of 2)

: an inclined plane : grade, slope

Other Words from incline Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about incline

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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

Even if a government were inclined to restore a forest, there is a finite amount of money, resources, and political capital to do so. — Umair Irfan, Vox, "Restoring forests may be one of our most powerful weapons in fighting climate change," 5 July 2019 Even those who are sold on the mindfulness practice might be inclined to skip sessions when feeling under the weather. — Ephrat Livni, Quartz, "The benefits of meditation when you’re sick or in pain," 17 June 2019 China’s leaders are inclined to tamp down instability, and have balked at giving market forces free rein in the equity markets. — Shen Hong, WSJ, "Foreign Investors Invade China’s Cozy Treasury Market," 19 Nov. 2018 Unfortunately, Hoosiers will have to wait another month or so to legally cash in on Daly’s inclinations, but for those who play fantasy IndyCar or who might be inclined to wager among friends, Rossi’s your guy. — Jim Ayello, Indianapolis Star, "IndyCar at Mid-Ohio: Scott Dixon needs to rediscover Mid-Ohio magic," 25 July 2019 Also, the pool of FCS teams willing to play a one-off away game is greater than the number of FBS schools inclined to do the same. — Chris Bumbaca, USA TODAY, "Penn State will owe Idaho $1.45 million for game even though Vandals are FCS. Here's why," 31 Aug. 2019 Our study finds, moreover, that refugees inclined to move westward are typically pro-Western to begin with. — Arie Kruglanski, The Conversation, "Are Syrian refugees a danger to the West?," 19 July 2019 The latter are designed to incline inside your ear canal, so as to better follow its natural curve. — Vlad Savov, The Verge, "Final E5000 review: delicate bass cannons," 11 June 2019 Years of multibillion-dollar arms purchases did not incline the al-Sauds to invest in recruiting and training a competent military. — Daniel Benjamin, The New York Review of Books, "Reckless in Riyadh," 30 May 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Located at the peak of the Twin Cities Marathon’s last taxing incline before the finish line, its spire looms above the Macalester College campus on Summit Avenue. — Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, "Review: Early Music Festival brings fresh energy to old sounds," 2 Aug. 2019 Arresting this incline will be the first step towards a sustainable system of international travel—but how could it be done? — Keith Baker, Quartz, "Four bold visions for the future of flying," 20 Aug. 2019 In June, federal lawmakers introduced bills calling for bans on all infant sleeping devices with an incline greater than 10 degrees. — oregonlive.com, "3rd company recalls inclined infant sleeper after baby deaths," 31 July 2019 Then continue the rotation at a slighter incline to fill in any holes until the pan is horizontal and the crepe is cooked through. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "No more lumps: Let physics be your guide to making the perfect crepe," 28 June 2019 There seem to be about 58 steps at a steep 30-degree incline. — Gary Richards, The Mercury News, "BART’s bike-escalator crunch may be addressed: Roadshow," 28 June 2019 Palermiti pulled his helmet back down over his head and joined the Green Terror linemen for their final few incline sprints. — Pat Stoetzer, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, "College Football: McDaniel quarterback position battle heating up," 27 Aug. 2019 The E250 Single Motor is recommended for flat terrain while the E450 Dual Motor can tackle 15 degree inclines. — Kasondra Van Treeck, chicagotribune.com, "The coolest ways to get around town this summer," 2 Aug. 2019 The shorter incline allows large vehicles to maintain a consistent speed, reducing congestion. — New York Times, "The City’s Most Hated Bridge Gets a Nearly $1 Billion Makeover," 29 Aug. 2019

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.