LEANS Synonyms: 73 Similar and Opposite Words

leans 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of lean

as in tilts

to set or cause to be at an angle just lean the ladder against the tree and climb up it

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as in tends

to show a liking or proneness (for something) the family's diet leans toward greasy food

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in relies

to place reliance or trust you can always lean on me if you need help

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

leans

2 of 2

noun

plural of lean

as in inclines

the degree to which something rises up from a position level with the horizon the wall has enough of a lean that we can't set a bookcase against it

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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 leans

Verb

Downstairs, Angelica focuses on all-day European brasserie hits—rabbit rillettes, gravlax, and pickled cucumber salad—while the Bar Gambit leans moodier and more underground, attracting a particular post-work creative Fitzrovia crowd. — Katharine Sohn, Architectural Digest, 2 Oct. 2026 The stone leans toward or away from the steel; the steel approaches or withdraws from the stone. — Barry Schwabsky, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026 Picture a developer trying to build a hillside home; a commission that’s wary of such projects could reject it, while another commission that leans more pro-housing could approve it. — Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026 Berman, 40, leans into his working-class background when talking to voters. — ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026 For Trey and Charlotte’s wedding, the show leans into my Scottish heritage. — Kyle MacLachlan, Vanity Fair, 29 Sep. 2026 Then the duo begins, and everyone leans forward, rapt, hands clasped loosely in front of them, mouthing every word. — Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 28 Sep. 2026 Elsewhere, La DoubleJ fully leans into the trend with a geometric feather-print dress, while Zimmermann’s flowing, graphic pattern takes a more contemporary approach. — Corinne Pierre-Louis, Vogue, 27 Sep. 2026 Given the country singer’s presence, the music leans into the genre with softer, twangier strings that lift the effortless harmonies from the two singers. — Lyndsey Havens, Billboard, 25 Sep. 2026

Noun

The latest addition to the Sky Railway lineup is The Stargazer, a cosmic trip that leads travelers below New Mexico’s notoriously dark skies and leans into the landscape’s extraterrestrial mystery. — Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 24 Sep. 2026 This tonal take leans into a moodier palette of gray, purple, and blue, with fish motifs bringing a charming touch to the cool-toned look. — Amanda Le, InStyle, 3 Sep. 2026 The furniture and decor for your little one leans into that fleeting window of imagination, bringing color, whimsy, and playfulness to make their room feel unmistakably theirs. — Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 31 Aug. 2026 Framed as an ensemble drama rather than the story of a single heroic whistleblower, the production compresses Ibsen’s plot, reimagines the ending and leans into satire without sacrificing moral bite. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026 Pendleton’s travel-ready design leans into that ritual with a roll-up board printed in one of the heritage brand’s iconic patterns, reversible wooden pieces, and a vegan leather pouch for toting it around. — Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 8 Aug. 2026 The cocktail menu leans into the couple’s heritage with some Argentine staples, including the El Clásico of Fernet and Coke and El Diego, concocted with sweet vermouth, Coke and a splash of whiskey. — Rick West, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026 In winter, the adults-only retreat leans into its cozy side, inviting guests to curl up by the fireplace, book a spa treatment, and embrace the slower pace of mountain life. — Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 20 July 2026 But this version of Zorro leans instead into broad comedy and an even broader vintage aesthetic including day-for-night shooting and a general soft-focus haze. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 30 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for leans

Verb

But others said the survey often tilts toward conservative candidates, which is different than the nonpartisan polls run by the three universities.

— Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 4 Oct. 2026
According to Song, this system captures the energy naturally generated whenever the massive pile frame lowers or tilts, converting that potential energy into recyclable electricity.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of tilts

Verb

Stuhlbarg, whose Vice President tends to cower in terror in the corner of the frame, becomes particularly evident as the movie’s comic secret weapon upon closer examination.

— Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 30 Sep. 2026
Speculation and reading the tea leaves within Chinese official announcement and state media reports also tends to intensify in the run-up to major Communist Party meetings.

— Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of tends

Verb

But the head of aviation security at the Transportation Ministry, Dvir Rubenstien, told Army Radio that the ministry relies on local security checks and does not have the tools or the ability to run checks on each passenger on every flight.

— ABC News, ABC News, 4 Oct. 2026
But the head of aviation security at the Transportation Ministry, Dvir Rubenstein, told Army Radio that the ministry relies on local security checks and does not have the tools or the ability to run checks on each passenger on every flight.

— Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of relies

Noun

Cows amble in the distance along the inclines of meadows; their grazing helps control invasive plants.

— Kalpana Mohan, Mercury News, 10 Aug. 2026
Bert McCarty, a Clemson University professor of turfgrass science and management, said golfers like how top courses are so different — from incorporating the ocean in places near beaches to relying on inclines in the mountains.

— ABC News, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of inclines

Verb

The rest of the Cambria isn’t bad, either, including the shops and galleries along Main Street (which is deceptively long) and the piney slopes above.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
In rivers and streams in Virginia and Maryland, Hack measured the length of each stream and the area of the land that slopes toward that stream and therefore drains into it, called its basin or drainage area.

— Natalie Wolchover, Quanta Magazine, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of slopes

Verb

The Shedd is an institution that depends on public support, from ticket sales to donations, and owes the public a full accounting of the circumstances surrounding these whales’ deaths.

— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026
However, widespread deployment still depends on compatible vehicles, chargers, communications systems, regulations, and business models.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of depends

Noun

And a lot of the time, people who have these kinds of inclinations towards children are people who were children who were abused themselves.

— CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2026
The trustees feared that if something happened to him, his heir apparent, Robert Kahn, would replace him, and it was known that Kahn had Zionistic inclinations.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of inclinations

Cite this Entry

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“Leans.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leans. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of leans

verb

noun

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