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
Outside a San Diego immigration court, a man, his mother, and his two daughters stand in a tight circle, inclining their heads toward a priest.
—
Sophie Hills,
Christian Science Monitor,
30 Aug. 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
Outside a San Diego immigration court, a man, his mother, and his two daughters stand in a tight circle, inclining their heads toward a priest.
—
Sophie Hills,
Christian Science Monitor,
30 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inclining
Adjective
-
James O’Donoghue, a planetary scientist with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, likened our planet’s tilting phenomenon to a nodding head.
Verb
-
Each bag is equipped with features that make traveling easier, like comfort grip handles at the top and side, a self-locking retractable handle, back zippered pockets, and stability bars at the bottom to keep the bag from tilting while standing upright.
-
Rather than tilting the motors – as the Osprey or Valo do – its solution is to tilt the entire wings.
Verb
-
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report shifted its outlook last November for the contest from leaning Republican to a toss-up.
-
To be sure, center-leaning candidates won Democratic primaries on Tuesday in upstate New York and Utah.
Adjective
-
With bowed heads, friends and classmates wrapped their arms around each other.
-
Instead of your standard dress shoes, Styles finished the look with a perfect pair of minty-green ballet flats with bowed laces.
Verb
-
The modern silhouette’s low back and sloping arms provide a comfy foundation for anyone lucky enough to be invited in for a drink.
-
The plans have touched off stiff opposition from neighbors worried about soil erosion, already a problem in an area of steeply sloping topography, and potential well contamination.
Verb
-
To succeed, the strategic goal for the C-suite must be to stop tending to infrastructure and start focusing on the applications that drive real business outcomes.
-
As long as the idea remains that property gets its purpose from those tending it, working it, nourishing it and dying on it, the film will never become a relic.
Adjective
-
And every day, across from them, outside the clinic, about to enter or just leaving, there were women hugging each other and weeping.
-
The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.
Cite this Entry
“Inclining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inclining. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
