leverage

verb

leveraged; leveraging

transitive verb

1

a

: to provide (something, such as a corporation) or supplement (something, such as capital) with borrowed money

… the owners leveraged the company by borrowing heavily, while taking out dividends.

—Irish Times

… the private sector could leverage capital to allow schools to expand quickly to meet demand.

—David Bell

b

: to use (something, such as skills or influence) to achieve or enhance a desired result

… has leveraged his name and fanbase to hawk products and raise money.

—Alison Durkee

… has been clever in how she has leveraged her musical talent …

—Keiran Southern and Louisa Clarence-Smith

These platforms leverage a combination of AI algorithms, user feedback, and manual verification processes to swiftly detect and mitigate the spread of deep fakes …

—Sol Rashidi

2

: to use for gain : exploit

… shamelessly leverage the system to their advantage.

—Alexander Wolff

Synonyms of leverage

• use
• exploit
• manipulate
• abuse

Examples of leverage in a Sentence

The company wants to leverage its brands more effectively.

a reality show contestant who's trying to leverage her 15 minutes of fame

Recent Examples on the Web

Again, consider events in Iran, where press reports suggest that Iran leveraged Chinese commercial companies’ satellite imagery to effectively target US military facilities throughout the Gulf. —Michael P. Dempsey, Forbes.com, 5 June 2026

With seed money and the ability to start at a younger age, funds have more time to grow, leveraging the power of compounding. —Jessica Dickler,greg Iacurci, CNBC, 5 June 2026

In an entertainment landscape dominated by known franchises and intellectual property, the former TV and media executive wanted to leverage the company’s IP in new ways to attract consumers. —Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026

Conversely, the snowball method leverages human psychology. —Ali Besharat, The Conversation, 4 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1971, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for leverage

• beverage

Kids Definition

leverage

noun

le·​ver·​age

ˈlev-(ə-)rij, 

ˈlēv-

: the action of a lever or the increase in force gained by using a lever

Legal Definition

leverage

1 of 2 noun

le·​ver·​age ˈle-vrij, -və-rij 

: the use of credit to enhance one's speculative capacity

leverage

2 of 2 transitive verb

leveraged; leveraging

: to provide (as a corporation) or supplement (as money) with leverage