lean on

verb

leaned on; leaning on; leans on

transitive verb

: to apply pressure to

They were leaning on the governor to pass the law.

Examples of lean on in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Pozen leans on the step-up in basis at death, which wipes out the capital gains accumulated during an owner's lifetime, and his column is careful to say this applies to money held outside retirement accounts. — Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026

The Eagles can temporarily lean on Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt, both of whom are under contract through 2027. — Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026

Just as many people can’t afford to have someone else clean their homes, landscape their yards or nanny their kids, those struggling to make ends meet may need to lean on AI assistance. — Billy J. Stratton, The Conversation, 21 Aug. 2026

While the pair leaned on each other after the crash, there were times when the Gone Too Far host, who was open about his struggle with addiction, pushed the blink-182 drummer away. — Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1960, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for lean on

• anton
• argon
• axon
• baronne
• baryon
• baton
• boron
• buisson
• bygone
• capon
• cardon
• chiffon