lean (on or against)

verb

Definition of lean (on or against)next
as in to bear (down)

Related Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lean (on or against)
  1. compel
  2. force
  3. muscle
Verb
  • Greg Derr / Pool via The Patriot Ledger Throughout the trial, Reddington argued that Clancy was in the throes of postpartum psychosis and acted on auditory hallucinations that compelled her to carry out the killings.
    — Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 8 Sep. 2026
  • As the Zellners compel us to laugh at the Alpha Gang, we’re also prompted to reconsider the correct way to learn emotional expression.
    — Cortlyn Kelly, IndieWire, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of compel
Verb
  • Bournemouth were profligate, despite scoring through Marcus Tavernier and forcing a Malick Thiaw own goal, with multiple first-half chances wasted.
    — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • But the truth of it is that Sharaa forced his hand by seizing swathes of the SDF’s territory in a lightning offensive in January.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of force
Verb
  • Apopka continues its rebuilding stage but watch out for big defensive lineman Demetri Tarpley, who is 6-3 and has muscled up to 305 pounds with an offseason program.
    — Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The action spilled to the outside, and Wagner muscled Dragon Lee back into the ring with a powerbomb.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of muscle
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.

Browse Nearby Words

leanness
lean (on or against)
leans
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lean (on or against).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lean%20%28on%20or%20against%29. Accessed 11 Sep. 2026.

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