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.
Recent Examples of lean-toLean-to: A lean-to normally used for firewood can be used to store propane tanks, as long as it has been emptied of wood and other flammable materials.—Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 4 Jan. 2026 Under another lean-to, one man works to turn palm leaves into elaborate, rattan-like woven furniture—he’s even fashioned a small shelf for his cell phone, wedged into the mud wall by his right shoulder, to better keep it at hand.—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 21 Dec. 2025 The hardshell takes a little push before the struts take over and open it into full lean-to position.—New Atlas, 13 Dec. 2025 Warnings, citations — then arrest Another man who was sleeping under the lean-to was arrested by officers for not registering as a predatory offender.—Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 5 Oct. 2025 Our gardens and farms, our houses, porches, lean-tos, gazebos and birdhouses are statements of power and possession but also more than that.—Literary Hub, 19 Sep. 2025 Kensett—former head chef at Storico, New York; Goldeneye, Jamaica; and The Fife Arms, Braemar—cooked outdoors on embers in a lean-to.—Carlton Reid, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025 Out back, a fence will soon hug the tiny porch where visitors will still be able to see the lines on the brick where the lean-to’s roof was formerly affixed.—John Wenzel, The Denver Post, 13 Mar. 2025 Two rustic lean-tos with sweeping mountain vistas are worth the short uphill hike (or, upon request, ride), particularly around sunset.—Paul Brady, Travel + Leisure, 18 July 2024
Mountain Rescue Aspen dispatched a ground team on snowmobiles while CareFlight sent a helicopter again, this time landing about 500 feet from the hut, officials said.
—
Lauren Penington,
Denver Post,
26 Jan. 2026
One of his wackier ideas involved Italian gondolas, grass huts and servants dressed in Tahitian clothing.
Learn about Barbados’ heritage with a rum shack tour or an excursion to a local Rasta community.
—
Annie Daly,
Vogue,
3 Jan. 2026
All are unified by a boardwalk that’s open to the public and lined with bike rentals, a taco shack, platforms for live music and a full-time professional sandcastle builder.
Even Venezuela’s shanties were made with solid construction materials such as brick and concrete, made cheap by a strong bolivar, Venezuela’s currency.
—
The Atlantic,
The Atlantic,
29 Jan. 2026
California’s homelessness crisis is especially visible in downtown Los Angeles, where hundreds of people live in makeshift shanties that line entire blocks in the notorious neighborhood known as Skid Row.