lean and mean

idiom

: efficient and successful
We wanted our business to be lean and mean.

Examples of lean and mean in a Sentence

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Some are effectively lean and mean, like the narratively spare Open Water in 2003, or The Shallows from 2016, which is basically Blake Lively in a bikini being circled on a rock by a great white for 90 minutes. David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 20 June 2025 Perhaps the chief exception is 2010’s lean and mean The Reef, while 2012’s Bait 3D earned points for its bonkers premise — sharks in a flooded supermarket! David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2025 The first two seasons were lean and mean at six episodes apiece, which allowed the creative team (these days led by showrunner John Wirth) to adapt Hillerman’s books without dragging things out. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 8 Mar. 2025 Fox has stayed lean and mean since selling most of its assets to Disney. Tony Maglio, IndieWire, 10 Jan. 2025 Guided By Voices get lean and mean on their 18th album in 10 years, Universe Room, out Feb. 7 via the band’s label. Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 19 Nov. 2024 Today’s edition is lean and mean, given *waves hand around in the air. Byandrew Nusca, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2024 While canned tuna is lean and mean, sardines are delightfully rich. Sam Stone, Bon Appétit, 7 Oct. 2024 This approach keeps Cuban's to-do list lean and mean. Jodie Cook, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024

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“Lean and mean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lean%20and%20mean. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.

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