1
as in tendencies
a prevailing or general movement or inclination
the news media are often accused of having liberal leanings
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in inclinations
a habitual attraction to some activity or thing
despite what his athletic leanings might suggest, he was actually a very lazy kid
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 leanings
Reminiscent of Kevin Young’s Ardency in its deft archival roots, music, and formal leanings, Printer’s Fist reminds what historical documentary poetry can still do, particularly when history is being erased everywhere from National Parks to liberal arts curriculums.
—
Literary Hub, 2 Mar. 2026
Their political leanings aligned, both on the left.
—Gerald Witt, AJC.com, 1 Mar. 2026
Every corporate decision is now scrutinized under a public lens, as customers, the government, and the general public debate and dissect the political leanings of a leader or firm.
—Emily Lang, Harvard Business Review, 26 Feb. 2026
Some attributed the federal attention to Lawrence’s liberal political leanings.
—Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 19 Feb. 2026
Crooks appeared to have acted alone and did not belong to any particular political leanings.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
His son notes that political books revealed his lifelong liberal leanings, while religious texts and memoirs showed his spiritual curiosity.
—Cheryl Russell, Oc Register, 31 Jan. 2026
But within the past few months, amid controversy surrounding the polarizing presence of ICE agents in American cities, the former chart-topper has embraced right-wing political leanings — and has lost a slew of fans in the process.
—Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 30 Jan. 2026
Over the course of the year, the Democratic Party regained and expanded its advantage in party leanings, a trend that was borne out in the party’s strong performance in 2025 special elections compared to similar races in the more Republican-favorable 2024 election cycle.
—Chris Sims, IndyStar, 30 Jan. 2026
Literary Hub, 2 Mar. 2026
Their political leanings aligned, both on the left.
—Gerald Witt, AJC.com, 1 Mar. 2026
Every corporate decision is now scrutinized under a public lens, as customers, the government, and the general public debate and dissect the political leanings of a leader or firm.
—Emily Lang, Harvard Business Review, 26 Feb. 2026
Some attributed the federal attention to Lawrence’s liberal political leanings.
—Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 19 Feb. 2026
Crooks appeared to have acted alone and did not belong to any particular political leanings.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
His son notes that political books revealed his lifelong liberal leanings, while religious texts and memoirs showed his spiritual curiosity.
—Cheryl Russell, Oc Register, 31 Jan. 2026
But within the past few months, amid controversy surrounding the polarizing presence of ICE agents in American cities, the former chart-topper has embraced right-wing political leanings — and has lost a slew of fans in the process.
—Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 30 Jan. 2026
Over the course of the year, the Democratic Party regained and expanded its advantage in party leanings, a trend that was borne out in the party’s strong performance in 2025 special elections compared to similar races in the more Republican-favorable 2024 election cycle.
—Chris Sims, IndyStar, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leanings
Noun
-
Trump supporters may cheer his America First rhetoric, but the Republican president is showing far more globalist tendencies one year into his second term.—
Steve Peoples,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Feb. 2026
-
And these tendencies collided with an unprecedented growth in accessible data.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
This is the standard for ramp inclinations that are usable for most people, especially wheelchair users.—
K. Desbouis,
Artforum,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Trump’s inclinations to make every race about him could foul this for the GOP.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Hosted by Armstrong Williams, the broadcast brings together leading voices in politics, law enforcement, and public health to explore how crime trends, border policy, and food policy are shaping the nation’s future.—
Bill Wachsberger,
Baltimore Sun,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Purely national committees were chosen to best isolate national trends.—
Robert Schmad,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
This model reflects Japan’s long-standing corporate culture, which prioritizes new hires for their general potential—their aptitudes and aspirations, as opposed to their current skill sets or university majors—and then trains them on the job.—
GRACIA LIU-FARRER,
Foreign Affairs,
18 Nov. 2025
-
More money is apt to make homeschooling worse and far less tailored to the individual student and their interests and aptitudes by encouraging parents to substitute pricey group programs for the requisite effort of individualized instruction.—
Marie Sapirie,
Forbes.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The shortest runways in the world make landing the journey’s most dramatic moment, where cliffs, gradients, tides and mountains compress aviation into a test of pure precision.—
Karina Acharya,
Condé Nast Traveler,
26 Feb. 2026
-
The storm occurred during a supermoon with extremely high astronomical tides.—
Terry Eliasen,
CBS News,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The Athletic Club Oakland was a haven for sports-lovers of all affinities.—
John Metcalfe,
Mercury News,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The driving rock guitars and layered vocal textures recall TV on the Radio’s experimentation, and Galanin shares certain vocal and political affinities with Moses Sumney.—
Petala Ironcloud,
Pitchfork,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
With this illumination, firefighters can identify entry directions and escape routes in low-visibility environments.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The concierge team keeps things refreshingly low-key, ready to divulge hotel lore, downtown directions, and smart local recommendations.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Leanings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leanings. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
