1
as in to tilt
to set or cause to be at an angle
just lean the ladder against the tree and climb up it
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in skinny
having a noticeably small amount of body fat
all of the marathoners are extremely lean
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in slope
the degree to which something rises up from a position level with the horizon
the wall has enough of a lean that we can't set a bookcase against it
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lean
Yuen Foong Khong, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025
With the exception of Tilson, the candidates generally lean left, and their supporters may be more likely to rank Mamdani than Cuomo down ballot.
—Ben Adler, USA Today, 24 June 2025
Keith Pandolfi, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
What’s rising in the aftermath is a new breed of giving that is leaner, faster, and built on the principles of decentralization, distribution, and data.
—Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
Pete Sampson, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
Democrats and Republicans continue to maintain that a Republican loss in the district is highly unlikely, given its red lean.
—Julia Manchester, The Hill, 30 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lean
Verb
For example, under President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo from 2001 to 2010, the Philippines leaned toward China.
—Yuen Foong Khong, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025
With the exception of Tilson, the candidates generally lean left, and their supporters may be more likely to rank Mamdani than Cuomo down ballot.
—Ben Adler, USA Today, 24 June 2025
Adjective
The Mediterranean diet emphasizes lean proteins, fruits, vegetables and healthy fats.
—Keith Pandolfi, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
What’s rising in the aftermath is a new breed of giving that is leaner, faster, and built on the principles of decentralization, distribution, and data.
—Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
Noun
He was perceived to be an early Texas lean (his hometown of Forney is located 200 miles from Austin) until Notre Dame and Michigan moved to the front of the pack during spring practice.
—Pete Sampson, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
Democrats and Republicans continue to maintain that a Republican loss in the district is highly unlikely, given its red lean.
—Julia Manchester, The Hill, 30 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lean
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lean
Verb
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This charming pagoda-style umbrella offers UPF 50 protection for scorching summer days, is easily adjustable, and even tilts.—
Blake Bakkila,
Architectural Digest,
8 July 2025
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The fan features a 120-degree oscillating head, which can also be tilted 120 degrees vertically, and is connected to a stand that extends up to 40 inches (or 3.3 feet).—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
7 July 2025
Verb
-
Sure, plenty of people have critiques of the Vision Pro, which in my opinion tend to be slightly premature.—
Anshel Sag,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
-
But here’s a general overview of the kinds of changes that tend to occur in our 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond.—
Elizabeth Yuko,
Flow Space,
7 July 2025
Verb
-
The government’s investigation largely relied on a campus antisemitism study commissioned by Harvard and released in April.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
1 July 2025
-
For centuries, explorers relied on such vantage points to map their surroundings.—
Ben Verghese,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
Adjective
-
Jamie has a big head, like a baby, and skinny limbs; his flashes of menace have the horror-movie quality of an evil doll.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
-
As a departure from the era of plain skinny ties, Lauren's wide, colorful neckties broke the mold, and his company grew from there.—
Diane J. Cho,
People.com,
28 June 2025
Noun
-
Throughout, the cast of 17 exudes an unmistakable enthusiasm for the material, the onstage electricity radiating up the alpine slopes of the Guthrie’s expansive Wurtele Thrust.—
Rob Hubbard,
Twin Cities,
28 June 2025
-
The positive slope on the WMA of the OBV and HPI is not giving any warning signs of a top.—
Tom Aspray,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
Verb
-
With a pull-on waistband, angled side pockets, and breezy cotton fabric, these ones are ready and waiting for all my summer adventures.—
Jamie Allison Sanders,
People.com,
7 July 2025
-
Moreover, the Taliban has angled for the recognition of another former adversary: the United States.—
Max Saltman,
CNN Money,
3 July 2025
Verb
-
If a sneaker is linked to a specific athlete, the popularity of their sneaker, like their trading card, depends on the success of that athlete’s career.—
Gili Malinsky,
CNBC,
30 June 2025
-
Much depends on the role of Manuela Giugliano, likely to play as a deep midfielder rather than the No 10 position she is often deployed in at Roma.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
30 June 2025
Adjective
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In a thin free agent class that’s getting thinner by the minute, there are Ehlers and Boeser (Mitch Marner is expected to go to Vegas, though Sportnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported the Leafs are rattling their sabers about potential tampering by the Golden Knights) at the top.—
Stephen Conroy,
Hartford Courant,
30 June 2025
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But rather than spreading resources thin to cast a wide net that lightly lifts production across the board, policymakers should focus their energy on restoring the production capacity of sectors critical to national security and Americans' health.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lean.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lean. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
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