LEANINGS Synonyms: 91 Similar and Opposite Words

leanings

noun

plural of leaning

as in tendencies

a prevailing or general movement or inclination the news media are often accused of having liberal leanings

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 On paper, with the exceptions of North Carolina and Georgia, each state boasting a property tax initiative skews heavily conservative in its political leanings. — Paxton Honerkamp, CNBC, 21 July 2026 Many are not simply checking political leanings or ownership structures. — Jeremy Fields, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026 Weinstein cautioned against reading too much in the case being assigned to a judge who may be perceived to have political leanings. — Todd Spangler, Variety, 14 July 2026 In a departure from her urbano and alternative leanings blended with notes of R&B, the six-song EP was a straightforward, traditional salsa offering that featured a collaboration with Venezuelan salsa hybrid band Rawayana on the title track. — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2026 The artists said they weren't initially made aware of the event's political leanings when signing onto the program. — Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 29 June 2026 In other instances, when people have remarked on his literary leanings, Brooks has demurred. — Adrienne Lafrance, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026 Vermeer’s family may have had Remonstrant leanings, too. — Clare Bucknell, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026 Trump has long invoked the term against a range of political opponents, including peaceful protesters without anarchist-leanings. — ABC News, 16 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for leanings

Noun

Before the focus shifts back to club football, allow The Athletic to walk through some of the data quirks and tactical tendencies from this year’s World Cup.

— Mark Carey, New York Times, 21 July 2026
The design incorporates materials common to the region, such as brick, while honoring the mid-mod tendencies towards clean lines, picture views, and natural light.

— Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 20 July 2026

Definition of tendencies

Noun

Half the tracks skate along atop grooves informed by house and UK garage, reflecting Hebden’s clubbiest inclinations as well as his idiosyncratic sound design.

— Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 18 July 2026
The solution Ciufolini proposed decades ago while working with physicist John Archibald Wheeler was to use two satellites in supplementary orbits, meaning with orbital inclinations that sum to 180 degrees.

— Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 10 July 2026

Definition of inclinations

Noun

For this class, the premise is that your purpose in life lies to the intersection of your values, your aptitudes and your interests.

— Dana Taylor, USA Today, 6 May 2026
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

Definition of aptitudes

Noun

Knowing their days of bloodline privilege are numbered, the German and the French aristocrat bond, their class affinities binding them more tightly than the uniforms that separate them.

— Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 18 July 2026
In her memoir, Andrews mentions that her children briefly attended UCLA Lab School and that Joanna had affinities for horseback riding and reading.

— Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 23 June 2026

Definition of affinities

Noun

The brightest satellites, meanwhile, scatter their light in all directions.

— Chris Young July 28, Refractor, 28 July 2026
The challenge for all independent grocers is getting that fresh-is-best message to break through to consumers who are pulled in countless directions by competing voices that most often have far bigger advertising and marketing budgets.

— Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2026