as in bowing
bending downward or forward
the inclining branches of the evergreens seemed almost ready to break under the weight of the heavy snow
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in tilting
to set or cause to be at an angle
carefully inclined the ladder against the house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in leaning
to show a liking or proneness (for something)
a good restaurant for diners who incline to spicy food
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of inclining
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
The trim and inclining experiment is to confirm the centre of gravity of the submarine and is measured by naval architects in both surfaced and submerged conditions.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inclining
Verb
-
Inside the administration, the balance of power appears to be tilting away from the noninterventionists and toward the hawks — at least, for now.—
Matt K. Lewis,
Mercury News,
13 Jan. 2026
-
The court’s four liberal justices at the time joined him over the other conservative justices’ dissents; Trump has since appointed Justice Amy Coney Barrett to replace former Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, tilting the court further in conservatives’ favor.—
Zach Schonfeld,
The Hill,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The Post would not be the first right-leaning media in the state.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
2 Feb. 2026
-
Look for a backward question mark leaning to the left that outlines the chest and head of the lion.—
Mike Lynch,
Twin Cities,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
James O’Donoghue, a planetary scientist with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, likened our planet’s tilting phenomenon to a nodding head.—
Aylin Woodward,
WSJ,
21 Dec. 2021
Verb
-
The interior dining room, divided into two levels and connected by a slowly sloping ramp, could at first cynical glance register as backdrop.—
Bill Addison,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2026
-
The town’s sloping main street, nestled in the craggy Wasatch Range, has practically become a symbol of the annual film gathering.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The footage shows McCollum tending to her gunshot wounds afterward.—
Chase Rogers,
Dallas Morning News,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Trust that tending to your foundations strengthens your public success.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The building with its bowed windows and a Queen Ann tower had already been around for nine years before its owner placed a classified ad in a July 1897 issue of The Kansas City Times.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
19 Nov. 2025
-
No racist stereotypes, no demeaning facial expressions, no bowed heads, and no broken bodies from the old Hollywood.—
David Faris,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 July 2025
Adjective
-
And every day, across from them, outside the clinic, about to enter or just leaving, there were women hugging each other and weeping.—
David Mamet,
National Review,
11 Aug. 2022
-
The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.—
Helen Shaw,
Vulture,
8 Dec. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Inclining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inclining. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
