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
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Addie leaned in with a whisper. Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 15 Mar. 2026 At present, nine council members appear to be leaning in that direction, with six in opposition. Mark Lamster architecture Critic, Dallas Morning News, 11 Mar. 2026 Some people used Taylor Swift lyrics to lean in to her future mother-in-law's home renovation. Melina Khan, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026 Celebrities have been leaning in hard. Nina Derwin, Glamour, 10 Mar. 2026 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 16 Mar. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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