lean (on or against)

verb

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

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lean (on or against)
  1. compel
  2. force
  3. muscle
Verb
  • Their scouting evaluation, comprehensive enough to unearth the aptitude beneath that bushy head of hair, compelled the team to select Bredeson in the fifth round of the 2026 draft.
    — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The scientist who is compelled by an unstoppable need to know, despite being aware of the danger, is a familiar trope in sci-fi and horror novels and films.
    — Carline Tromp, The Dial, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of compel
Verb
  • Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots, was forced to roll out a second artificial surface after the World Cup because its first attempt didn’t pass an independent lab test as required by the NFL and NFLPA.
    — Tim Graham, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The champion faced a challenging opponent, as Garry forced him to work hard for seven takedowns and inflicted some facial damage.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of force
Verb
  • 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
  • Meanwhile, SpaceX and Meta have muscled their way into the AI elite ranks, further piling the pressure on the leading frontier labs.
    — Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 14 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 21 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of rigmarole

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All