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

Her solo project, Not For Radio, leans in a different direction, more experimental and stripped-back. —Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 17 Mar. 2026

And as gorpcore continues its steady march from mountain trails to city streets, these feel like one of the least bulky ways to lean in. —Iman Balagam, InStyle, 16 Mar. 2026

The main way these producers can compete is by leaning in to their hands-on approach. —Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 16 Mar. 2026

Addie leaned in with a whisper. —Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 15 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

2001, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for lean in

• renin
• carrageenan
• catenin