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

Fuller’s victory is not a surprise given the heavy Republican lean in Georgia’s 14th Congressional District. —Tia Mitchell, AJC.com, 8 Apr. 2026

Nestlé, which distributes KitKats globally except in the United States, where Hershey has the rights, has leaned in to the attention that the heist has generated. —Melina Khan, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2026

The Street is already starting to lean in. —Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2026

So if something feels off or a little dramatic today, take it as a cue to lean in and notice what’s unfolding around you. —Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

2001, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for lean in

• renin
• carrageenan
• catenin