leverage

1 of 2

noun

le·​ver·​age ˈle-və-rij 

ˈlē-;

ˈlev-rij, 

ˈlēv-

1

: influence or power used to achieve a desired result

trying to gain more political leverage

… will need all the negotiating leverage that he can get.

—Brooks Barnes

The pipelines have given Russia significant leverage over Europe.

—Lindsay Isaac and Sophie Tanno

For the first time in a long while, workers have some leverage to push for more.

—Patricia Cohen

2

: the action of a lever or the mechanical advantage gained by it

Position the screwdriver head underneath the lip of the cap and use the leverage to pry it loose.

—Katie Teague and Taylor Martin

If a bolt is too tight, she loops two wrenches together to get more leverage …

—Kate Gurnett

3

: the use of borrowed money to supplement capital or to increase the earning power of a relatively small investment

leverage

2 of 2

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

Noun

• influence
• sway

Verb

• use
• exploit
• manipulate
• abuse

Examples of leverage in a Sentence

Noun

The union's size gave it leverage in the labor contract negotiations.

The player's popularity has given him a great deal of leverage with the owners of the team.

I used the leverage of the bar and a wooden block to pry the rock out of the hole.

Verb

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

Noun

Betts has always gotten the most out of his athleticism, making up for his small frame (he is listed at 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds) with exceptional use of leverage in his swing and elite hand-eye coordination. —Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 16 Mar. 2026

Neutralizing Kharg’s military assets helps the United States clear the Strait of Hormuz while preserving, for now, the regime’s economic artery as strategic leverage. —Richard Goldberg, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026

Verb

The Minnesota Department of Human Services didn't leverage its existing authority to investigate reports of kickbacks in the autism treatment program vulnerable to fraud, a new watchdog report determined. —Caroline Cummings, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026

Several have successfully leveraged a gap in campaign finance rules to keep their funders anonymous until after the primary. —David Hickey, NBC news, 17 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1724, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

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