plural lean-tos
ˈlēn-ˌtüz 
1
: a wing or extension of a building having a lean-to roof
2
: a rough shed or shelter with a lean-to roof
: having only one slope or pitch
a lean-to roof
see roof illustration
Examples of lean-to in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 23 Apr. 2025
One time, alone in a lean-to of sticks in Florida, something huge blackened the night nearby.
—Blair Braverman, Outside Online, 17 Apr. 2025
The 400-square-foot building, sandwiched between two brick houses, was a two-chair barbershop in the early 1930s, with the Cassady family crammed into a lean-to on the back.
—John Wenzel, The Denver Post, 13 Mar. 2025
Another big advantage the Roof Space construction offers is a fuller dome tent stretching from end to end without a lean-to-style hard lid.
—New Atlas, 11 Mar. 2025
If possible, move your grill indoors, such as inside a garage, shed, or beneath a carport or lean-to.
—Kamron Sanders, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Nov. 2024
For example, Tatiana Trouvé’s ongoing installation Between Sky and Earth—the former woodland camp of a being called The Guardian, who left behind bronze objects like books, shoes, and a lean-to—originated elements of several newer works.
—Kate Dwyer, ARTnews.com, 8 Oct. 2024
Kit Bernardi, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025
The combination also produced a healthier lean-to-fat mass ratio, indicating the weight loss was primarily due to fat reduction rather than muscle loss.
—New Atlas, 12 Oct. 2025
Kensett—former head chef at Storico, New York; Goldeneye, Jamaica; and The Fife Arms, Braemar—cooked outdoors on embers in a lean-to.
—Carlton Reid, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
No one quite knows how—imagine trying to arrange several Volvos in a lean-to shape in a time before the wheel—or why.
—Josh Condon, Robb Report, 5 Mar. 2023
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Noun
In this case, the lean-to was reportedly formed by downed trees.
—Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 23 Apr. 2025
One time, alone in a lean-to of sticks in Florida, something huge blackened the night nearby.
—Blair Braverman, Outside Online, 17 Apr. 2025
The 400-square-foot building, sandwiched between two brick houses, was a two-chair barbershop in the early 1930s, with the Cassady family crammed into a lean-to on the back.
—John Wenzel, The Denver Post, 13 Mar. 2025
Another big advantage the Roof Space construction offers is a fuller dome tent stretching from end to end without a lean-to-style hard lid.
—New Atlas, 11 Mar. 2025
If possible, move your grill indoors, such as inside a garage, shed, or beneath a carport or lean-to.
—Kamron Sanders, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Nov. 2024
For example, Tatiana Trouvé’s ongoing installation Between Sky and Earth—the former woodland camp of a being called The Guardian, who left behind bronze objects like books, shoes, and a lean-to—originated elements of several newer works.
—Kate Dwyer, ARTnews.com, 8 Oct. 2024
Adjective
Exercises focused on how to find and purify water, fish and hunt for animals, forage for edible plants, find dry wood to build a fire and construct palm leaf-sapling lean-to shelters.
—Kit Bernardi, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025
The combination also produced a healthier lean-to-fat mass ratio, indicating the weight loss was primarily due to fat reduction rather than muscle loss.
—New Atlas, 12 Oct. 2025
Kensett—former head chef at Storico, New York; Goldeneye, Jamaica; and The Fife Arms, Braemar—cooked outdoors on embers in a lean-to.
—Carlton Reid, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
No one quite knows how—imagine trying to arrange several Volvos in a lean-to shape in a time before the wheel—or why.
—Josh Condon, Robb Report, 5 Mar. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Lean-to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lean-to. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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