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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Louvet has pushed the brand to reach higher and average unit retail prices have increased 107 percent after 33 straight quarters of gains as the company leaned in on premium and tailored its offering. Evan Clark, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2025 In a viral TikTok video shared in October by 29-year-old Alyssa Redwine under the username @alyssaredwine, the tabby cat, Sis, can be seen standing by her best friend Mama’s side, gently tapping her on the head and watching her in pain, even leaning in for one last kiss goodbye. Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025 Familiar faces dotting the periphery of the dance floor leaned in close to catch up over the loudspeakers. Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 27 Oct. 2025 The Knicks’ 21 total offensive boards were more than the Celtics — who are especially lean in the frontcourt after losing Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and Luke Kornet this summer — allowed in any game last season. Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 25 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for lean in

Word History

First Known Use

2001, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lean in was in 2001

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Cite this Entry

“Lean in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lean%20in. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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