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
Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 4 Jan. 2026
Under another lean-to, one man works to turn palm leaves into elaborate, rattan-like woven furniture—he’s even fashioned a small shelf for his cell phone, wedged into the mud wall by his right shoulder, to better keep it at hand.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 21 Dec. 2025
The hardshell takes a little push before the struts take over and open it into full lean-to position.
—New Atlas, 13 Dec. 2025
Warnings, citations — then arrest Another man who was sleeping under the lean-to was arrested by officers for not registering as a predatory offender.
—Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 5 Oct. 2025
Our gardens and farms, our houses, porches, lean-tos, gazebos and birdhouses are statements of power and possession but also more than that.
—Literary Hub, 19 Sep. 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
Out back, a fence will soon hug the tiny porch where visitors will still be able to see the lines on the brick where the lean-to’s roof was formerly affixed.
—John Wenzel, The Denver Post, 13 Mar. 2025
Two rustic lean-tos with sweeping mountain vistas are worth the short uphill hike (or, upon request, ride), particularly around sunset.
—Paul Brady, Travel + Leisure, 18 July 2024
New Atlas, 13 Dec. 2025
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
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
Lean-to: A lean-to normally used for firewood can be used to store propane tanks, as long as it has been emptied of wood and other flammable materials.
—Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 4 Jan. 2026
Under another lean-to, one man works to turn palm leaves into elaborate, rattan-like woven furniture—he’s even fashioned a small shelf for his cell phone, wedged into the mud wall by his right shoulder, to better keep it at hand.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 21 Dec. 2025
The hardshell takes a little push before the struts take over and open it into full lean-to position.
—New Atlas, 13 Dec. 2025
Warnings, citations — then arrest Another man who was sleeping under the lean-to was arrested by officers for not registering as a predatory offender.
—Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 5 Oct. 2025
Our gardens and farms, our houses, porches, lean-tos, gazebos and birdhouses are statements of power and possession but also more than that.
—Literary Hub, 19 Sep. 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
Out back, a fence will soon hug the tiny porch where visitors will still be able to see the lines on the brick where the lean-to’s roof was formerly affixed.
—John Wenzel, The Denver Post, 13 Mar. 2025
Two rustic lean-tos with sweeping mountain vistas are worth the short uphill hike (or, upon request, ride), particularly around sunset.
—Paul Brady, Travel + Leisure, 18 July 2024
Adjective
The hardshell takes a little push before the struts take over and open it into full lean-to position.
—New Atlas, 13 Dec. 2025
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
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 27 Jan. 2026.
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