lean in

verb

leaned in; leaning in; leans in

intransitive verb

: to persevere in spite of risk or difficulty

Then there's the racial justice crisis and making sure that we are leaning in during this time of recovery and crisis into the very important conversations around diversity and inclusion.

—Laura Fuentes, quoted in Washington (D.C.) Business Journal

Attending college began as a time of "leaning in," because it took courage to attend a large campus without much parental support and no friends attending with me.

—Sue Nokes

Examples of lean in in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For a task force that could be especially consequential for the Fed's management of the economy — on artificial intelligence — those outside minds all seem to lean in the same direction. — Matt Peterson, CNBC, 9 July 2026

These are not aggressive statements but intimate invitations—scents with medium sillage that linger close, encouraging one to lean in again and again. — Tanya Akim, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

Butch had put her on speaker and the two men had leaned in close. — Emily Ruskovich, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026

Though their creative liberties leaned in different directions, neither was a particular stickler for the truth. — Rosemary Counter, Vanity Fair, 6 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

2001, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for lean in

• renin
• carrageenan
• pangasinan
• catenin