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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in tends

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

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 leans

Verb

If your ideal bedroom leans more serene sanctuary than grand hotel suite, Article’s Tessu bed frame might be the perfect gift to yourself before the holidays hit. — Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 7 Nov. 2026 Next is their debut studio release In Endless Awe & Agony, which leans into the unfiltered texture of their voice. — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 6 Nov. 2026 The menu leans into crowd-pleasing seafood and vegetable-forward dishes, but pastas and hearty mains like a pork belly with roasted new potato and pane carasau cannot be missed. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Nov. 2026 Rather than mimicking a sneaker or a loafer, the Gardana leans into a deliberately odd silhouette. — Ashley Lynch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Nov. 2026 Chef Brian Dunsmoor’s wood-fire restaurant, which opened in 2022, leans into American cooking traditions with dishes prepared over an open flame and a menu that draws inspiration from across the country. — Brock Keeling, Daily News, 4 Nov. 2026 Attias stood in the hotel lobby, whose design leans toward gray, black, white, earth tones and chrome. — Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026 The new breakfast and lunch restaurant leans into the flavors and traditions of Uruguay, where co-owners Patricia Alberro and Cecilia Gonzalez where born. — Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 23 Oct. 2026 That includes the rural Ohio voter base, which historically leans conservative. — Saige Miller, NPR, 23 Oct. 2026

Noun

Kreezy, a 37-year-old personal trainer from the Paris region, dresses as Marvel’s Black Panther as an act of solidarity and leans into the superhero symbolism. — Sarah Gidick, HollywoodReporter, 3 Nov. 2026 So to layer that on top of an already very twisted, f---ed up villain leans into the meta-humor that Dexter likes to play with. — Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2026 The walking haunt leans towards the gory side of horror, so come prepared to witness some grotesque sights, organizers said on Eventbrite. — Hali Smith october 17, Idaho Statesman, 17 Oct. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for leans

Verb

The newly available cargo bed tilts to 50 degrees and can dump up to 1,400 pounds.

— Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 3 Nov. 2026
If anyone with a ChatGPT subscription or an open-weight model can hand off that work, control over a device tilts toward whoever’s curious to look inside—no matter their intentions.

— Peter Hall, Scientific American, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of tilts

Verb

The exception tends to be District 15, where votes mix as those boundaries meet on the capital’s western edge.

— Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 4 Nov. 2026
Trump has often pointed over the past months to historical data showing that the party holding total control of Washington tends to perform poorly in midterm elections.

— Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of tends

Verb

House Republican leader Vincent Candelora of North Branford said the state relies too heavily on funding education out of real property taxes.

— Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 8 Nov. 2026
It will be powered by a Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG) reactor, which relies on heat generated by a decaying nuclear isotope, and so does not rely on solar power for energy.

— Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Nov. 2026

Definition of relies

Noun

There are even conveyor belts to ferry folks up steep inclines – which also makes some of China's most beautiful views easier to reach for those less physically able.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Nov. 2026
The hiking area is extremely dangerous and known for steep inclines, loose gravel and falling rocks, according to the Italian Alpine Rescue unit, which told CNN that more than 80 people died in the Dolomites in 2026 so far.

— Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of inclines

Verb

The drift usually starts over a 40-foot ledge that quickly slopes down to about a 50-foot depth.

— Bob Rocchetta as told to Al Ristori, Outdoor Life, 28 Oct. 2026
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

Definition of slopes

Verb

Storms last weekend dumped the equivalent of more than two years of water into the town's surface water supply and provided a buffer for an operation that depends heavily on underground aquifers, Huntzinger said.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Nov. 2026
The result depends on the assumption that nuclear reaction rates and neutron decay follow the same scaling as the expansion rate.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 8 Nov. 2026

Definition of depends

Noun

Meanwhile, the electorate’s broad inclinations were plainly if not precisely depicted.

— W Joseph Campbell, The Conversation, 4 Nov. 2026
In 1860, Muybridge was thrown from a carriage, resulting in a head injury that radically changed his personality and possibly heightened his artistic inclinations.

— Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026