Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lean (on or against)
Verb
-
In over 40 instances of strategic bombing from World War I to the first Gulf War in 1991, such barrages, whether concentrated and heavy or light and dispersed, never compelled civilians to take to the streets in any meaningful numbers to oppose their governments.—
Robert A. Pape,
Foreign Affairs,
17 June 2025 -
In a time of scorching divisions, interviewees felt compelled by the call to act with collective spirit.—
Talia Milgrom-Elcott,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
Verb
-
Despite Anna’s meticulous preparations, her intent to force confessions from the passengers and deliver them directly to authorities is immediately derailed when just hours into the trip one of her guests is murdered.—
Lexy Perez,
HollywoodReporter,
10 June 2025
-
Whether that’s a trial site, a community center or the patient’s workplace, this model removes friction from both ends: Participants aren’t forced to travel, and sponsors don’t have to wait for overwhelmed sites to come online.—
Sonali Bloom,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
Verb
-
Buried deep in the more than 1,000-page tax-and-spending bill that President Donald Trump is muscling through Congress is an obscure tax measure that’s setting off alarms on Wall Street and beyond.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
30 May 2025
-
Freeman muscled it to center field for a two-run single.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
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.
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 20 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share