Definition of leeway
1a : off-course lateral movement of a ship when under way The sailboat's centerboard helps to reduce leeway.b : the angle between the heading and the track of an airplane
2 : an allowable margin of freedom or variation : tolerance The new rules allow managers greater leeway in making decisions.
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Examples of leeway in a Sentence
They give their students leeway to try new things.
you will be given some leeway in choosing how to carry out the project
Recent Examples of leeway from the Web
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A central question in the legal fight is whether a 2015 opinion written by Justice Anthony Kennedy, the likely swing vote for the Supreme Court, gives judges broader leeway to intervene in immigration decisions.
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Sessions’ directive gives prosecutors leeway to veer from the policy and levy less-serious charges when warranted.
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A stronger job market gives the Federal Reserve more leeway to raise interest rates, and its next meeting on rate policy is in two weeks.
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The tremendous number of people competing for full-time and part-time jobs will give employers the leeway to keep pay down.
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Wireless providers would have more leeway to put cell towers in neighborhoods in Charlotte and across North Carolina under a bill tentatively passed Tuesday by the N.C. House.
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The situation reports describe TigerSwan’s frustration with the amount of leeway some law enforcement gave protesters in Iowa and the company’s efforts to convince officers to use more punitive tactics.
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A players union also gives owners leeway to collaborate without facing charges of collusion.
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Judge Vaughn Walker of the California Northern District can ask to see the paperwork, but would not be given leeway to decide if the program was legal.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'leeway'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of leeway
1669
LEEWAY Defined for English Language Learners
leeway
playDefinition of leeway for English Language Learners
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: freedom to do something the way you want to do it
Learn More about leeway
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See words that rhyme with leeway Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for leeway Spanish Central: Translation of leeway Nglish: Translation of leeway for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of leeway for Arabic speakers
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