recline

verb

re·​cline ri-ˈklīn 

reclined; reclining

transitive verb

: to cause or permit to incline backwards

intransitive verb

1

: to lean or incline backwards

2

: repose, lie

Examples of recline in a Sentence

She was reclining on the sofa, watching TV.

The theater has reclining seats.

He reclined his seat so that he could nap more comfortably.

Recent Examples on the Web

The installation reproduces local KGB archives on Stalin and facsimiles of historical artifacts of the 1960s placed around an AR reconstruction of Buddha in Nirvana, a forty-three-foot-long, 1,600-year-old clay statue of a reclining Buddha excavated in Tajikistan in the late ’60s. —Anel Rakhimzhanova, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2026

At the once-swank Primrose Hotel, Russian refugees recline on the porch, playing pinochle, watching the night traffic of Collins Avenue rumble down South Beach. —Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026

But in the pint-sized alcove near the TV is a cozy reading nook with a large pillow and faux fur rug to lay on while reclining on other pillows. —Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Feb. 2026

This will provide the same comfort as a reclining one but look much more sophisticated. —Halee Miller Van Ryswyk, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French or Latin; Anglo-French recliner, from Latin reclinare, from re- + clinare to bend — more at lean

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for recline

• affine
• airline
• align
• aline
• assign
• baseline
• beamline
• benign
• bloodline
• bovine
• byline
• canine

Kids Definition

recline

verb

re·​cline ri-ˈklīn 

reclined; reclining

1

: to lean or cause to lean backwards

2

: repose entry 1 sense 2, lie

reclining on the sofa