Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lean (on or against)
Verb
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The first attempts to compel vaccination in the 1850s appeared to many to be arbitrary and unneeded extensions of state power at a time when the effectiveness of the shots was still very much in dispute.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026 -
That didn’t happen, and the alders felt compelled on Monday to air their grievances with the fifth floor in public.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Initiative, dubbed a ‘Swiss Brexit,’ sought binding limits by 2050, forcing strict curbs on asylum, family reunification and work permits, potentially dismantling Switzerland’s deal on free movement of people and close EU ties.—
Jamey Keaten,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
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Britain has increasingly toughened its approach to tech companies in recent years, urging or forcing them to impose age verification, adapt their algorithms and, most recently, prevent children from circulating nude images taken on mobile phones.—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
15 June 2026
Verb
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Sometimes, holding on isn't about muscling through, but knowing what you are meant to release along the way.—
Andrew McCarty,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Nov. 2025
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Pfizer is muscling up in the slimdown fight.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
30 Oct. 2025
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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 17 Jun. 2026.
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