1
as in tilted
to set or cause to be at an angle
just lean the ladder against the tree and climb up it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in relied
to place reliance or trust
you can always lean on me if you need help
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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 leaned
While the ‘90s and 2000s had plenty of classic rom-coms, in recent years, studios have leaned more heavily into super hero adaptations and recycling IP.
—
Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 19 Feb. 2026
Then the man sitting in the front passenger seat leaned out the window and fired into the pickup, Perez told detectives.
—Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
The production is notable for being an originally British Shakespeare interpretation coming to Broadway in a time when most of Broadway’s Shakespeare has leaned distinctly American.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 19 Feb. 2026
Margaret Qualley has leaned into her Southern upbringing to transform her work as an actress.
—Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 19 Feb. 2026
Candiace’s confessional and reunion looks always leaned into the opulent, over-the-top glamour synonymous with the Real Housewives.
—Kevin Huynh, InStyle, 19 Feb. 2026
This certainly seemed to be true for those in this room, many of whom had leaned into the theme with bubblegum-pink lip gloss and sky-high heels.
—Cami Fateh, Vogue, 17 Feb. 2026
Springsteen has increasingly leaned into political themes during recent performances.
—ABC News, 17 Feb. 2026
Less than 24 hours after reshaping part of their roster, Brooklyn made another set of moves ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline, continuing an active stretch that’s leaned heavily into flexibility, future assets and controllable young wings.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 5 Feb. 2026
Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 19 Feb. 2026
Then the man sitting in the front passenger seat leaned out the window and fired into the pickup, Perez told detectives.
—Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
The production is notable for being an originally British Shakespeare interpretation coming to Broadway in a time when most of Broadway’s Shakespeare has leaned distinctly American.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 19 Feb. 2026
Margaret Qualley has leaned into her Southern upbringing to transform her work as an actress.
—Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 19 Feb. 2026
Candiace’s confessional and reunion looks always leaned into the opulent, over-the-top glamour synonymous with the Real Housewives.
—Kevin Huynh, InStyle, 19 Feb. 2026
This certainly seemed to be true for those in this room, many of whom had leaned into the theme with bubblegum-pink lip gloss and sky-high heels.
—Cami Fateh, Vogue, 17 Feb. 2026
Springsteen has increasingly leaned into political themes during recent performances.
—ABC News, 17 Feb. 2026
Less than 24 hours after reshaping part of their roster, Brooklyn made another set of moves ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline, continuing an active stretch that’s leaned heavily into flexibility, future assets and controllable young wings.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 5 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leaned
Verb
-
When the North Pole is tilted toward the sun, there are longer days of sunlight in the Northern Hemisphere (summer).—
Ella Gonzales,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The war tilted, however slightly, toward the Allies.—
Cathie Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Most other human histories have tended to concentrate on the finer aspects of the mind and the rise of culture.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
-
By studying the brains of males of the species, researchers found that more aggressive males tended to have higher expression of a gene called Agouti than those that were more caring toward young mice.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Blacksmiths have relied on the softening glow of the forge since the Iron Age, and Metallurgy 101 dictates that thermal energy makes atoms slide past each other with ease.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Hungary has long relied heavily on Russian technology and fuel to power its nuclear plants.—
Mariia Kashchenko,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The photographed shark was maintaining a depth of around 500 meters (1,640 feet) along a seabed that sloped into much deeper water.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Round cheekbones like a waxing moon, uptilted eyes like a fox's, a nose that sloped sharply downward.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In Bashar al-Assad’s Syria, from 2014 to 2024, 350,000 died, according to the United Nations—or close to twice that many, as counted by expatriate outfits.—
Josef Joffe,
The Atlantic,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The neutral court matchup counted as a conference game for the schools that traveled over 2,500 miles to play in Kia Forum, the former home of the Los Angeles Lakers.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Put small bowls and plates between the tines, angled down and toward the center.—
Jessica Elliott,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Feb. 2026
-
With the last stone of the end, Constantini angled her shot out wide, hitting another stone and sending it straight into the Americans' stones in the center of the target.—
Isabel Yip,
NBC news,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In the end, democracy’s strength has always depended as much on watchful citizens as on institutions.—
Ken Silverstein,
Twin Cities,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Like many Texans, my family depended on wages, not wealth, and learned the value of hard work, fairness, and accountability.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Leaned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leaned. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
