1
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
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Recent Examples of leans
Kelsey Ogletree, Midwest Living, 11 Jan. 2026
And no player has seen an offensive role reduction as drastic as Towns in Brown’s offense that leans heavily toward guard play.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 10 Jan. 2026
De Mamiel’s Altitude Oil leans into exactly that mix and is handmade in England using high-quality botanicals.
—Iman Balagam, Vogue, 9 Jan. 2026
The launch leans heavily into Star Wars, including sets with Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, an X-Wing and a TIE fighter.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 9 Jan. 2026
An older jeweler leans back in his chair, arms crossed, deciding how much to explain.
—Parin Moradiya, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
Directed by Steven Lisberger, the movie leans hard into CGI at a time when that was still considered risky and experimental.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Jan. 2026
At their best, the 49ers play loose, creative football that leans into improvisation.
—J.j. Bailey, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026
The design leans modern but warm, with fireplaces, natural stone, and big windows that frame the Wasatch Mountains.
—Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 7 Nov. 2025
Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 6 Jan. 2026
While the Torel brand is, undoubtedly, Portuguese in history and design, this section of the hotel slightly steps away from the norm and leans towards a more Middle Eastern aesthetic.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Jan. 2026
The great news is there's a style for everyone, whether your aesthetic leans rustic, mod, colorful, and beyond.
—Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 23 Dec. 2025
Their catalog is rock, but leans toward folk, blues and pop.
—Melonee Hurt, Nashville Tennessean, 16 Dec. 2025
With two more progressives already on the 11-member council — Alison Coombs, whose term isn’t up until 2027, and Ruben Medina, who was reelected to his Ward III seat last month — the body now firmly leans left.
—John Aguilar, Denver Post, 2 Dec. 2025
To that, despite the sometimes overly bipartisan leans of his podcast that debuted in March with a Charlie Kirk chat, Newsom has substantial industry connections and policies like Prop 50 and the tax credits expansion to draw upon.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 1 Dec. 2025
The brand’s marketing leans into this, foregrounding local manufacturing, traceable materials and craftsmanship.
—Kirsty McGregor, Vogue, 27 Nov. 2025
Ellis Brooklyn, which like Phlur is on the more affordable side of prestige fragrance and leans into speed, similarly showed strong year-over-year growth of 165 percent.
—Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 11 Nov. 2025
Verb
As the only historic hotel along the Texas Gulf Coast, Grand Galvez leans into its lore with regular tours recounting paranormal activities.
—Kelsey Ogletree, Midwest Living, 11 Jan. 2026
And no player has seen an offensive role reduction as drastic as Towns in Brown’s offense that leans heavily toward guard play.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 10 Jan. 2026
De Mamiel’s Altitude Oil leans into exactly that mix and is handmade in England using high-quality botanicals.
—Iman Balagam, Vogue, 9 Jan. 2026
The launch leans heavily into Star Wars, including sets with Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, an X-Wing and a TIE fighter.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 9 Jan. 2026
An older jeweler leans back in his chair, arms crossed, deciding how much to explain.
—Parin Moradiya, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
Directed by Steven Lisberger, the movie leans hard into CGI at a time when that was still considered risky and experimental.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Jan. 2026
At their best, the 49ers play loose, creative football that leans into improvisation.
—J.j. Bailey, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026
The design leans modern but warm, with fireplaces, natural stone, and big windows that frame the Wasatch Mountains.
—Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 7 Nov. 2025
Noun
There's something for everyone, whether your aesthetic leans neutral, bold, or somewhere in between.
—Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 6 Jan. 2026
While the Torel brand is, undoubtedly, Portuguese in history and design, this section of the hotel slightly steps away from the norm and leans towards a more Middle Eastern aesthetic.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Jan. 2026
The great news is there's a style for everyone, whether your aesthetic leans rustic, mod, colorful, and beyond.
—Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 23 Dec. 2025
Their catalog is rock, but leans toward folk, blues and pop.
—Melonee Hurt, Nashville Tennessean, 16 Dec. 2025
With two more progressives already on the 11-member council — Alison Coombs, whose term isn’t up until 2027, and Ruben Medina, who was reelected to his Ward III seat last month — the body now firmly leans left.
—John Aguilar, Denver Post, 2 Dec. 2025
To that, despite the sometimes overly bipartisan leans of his podcast that debuted in March with a Charlie Kirk chat, Newsom has substantial industry connections and policies like Prop 50 and the tax credits expansion to draw upon.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 1 Dec. 2025
The brand’s marketing leans into this, foregrounding local manufacturing, traceable materials and craftsmanship.
—Kirsty McGregor, Vogue, 27 Nov. 2025
Ellis Brooklyn, which like Phlur is on the more affordable side of prestige fragrance and leans into speed, similarly showed strong year-over-year growth of 165 percent.
—Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 11 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leans
Verb
-
Breakfast at The Restaurant starts off strong with pastries prepared by the in-house French pastry chef, while later in the day, the menu tilts toward elevated Asian cuisine.—
Carley Rojas Avila,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Their family property has sat empty for years — the horse corral's beams are broken and its roof caved in, the garage tilts, and the house needs extensive repairs.—
Katheryn Houghton,
NPR,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
While both are safe and effective for preserving, citric acid can contribute a sharper, more acidic note, while salt tends to round out tomato flavor.—
Anne Wolf,
Martha Stewart,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Rainwater tends to stockpile on the edges of roads.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Abrego Garcia’s lawyers further said the original removal order the government relies on, which was backdated to 2019, directs his deportation to El Salvador while simultaneously barring his removal to that country.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Jan. 2026
-
But for those who need more detail, Dutch philosopher and journalist Doortje Smithuijsen dives into the many, many ways in which capitalism perpetuates patriarchy and relies on the unpaid labor of women to contribute to its endless need for material growth.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Its flexible 3-layer HydroWall shell is completely waterproof and still breathable, with pit zips to release excess heat on steep inclines.—
Annita Katee,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Dec. 2025
-
Recovery days are crucial because posterior chain muscles—your glutes, hamstrings, and calves—can fatigue quickly at higher inclines, says Hribick.—
Julia Ries Wexler,
Outside,
13 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Meanwhile, seawater intrudes like an advancing army toward thicker ice, which rests on bedrock that slopes inward toward the bowl-like center of the continent.—
Evan Howell,
Quanta Magazine,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Session length depends on availability and need.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The length of cold required to break dormancy in any particular tree species depends on both the length of typical winter and the variability of winter temperature patterns where a species evolved.—
Paul Cappiello,
Louisville Courier Journal,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Lin—whose early career at Zappos and mathematical inclinations molded him into an early backer of companies like Airbnb and DoorDash—has been at Sequoia since 2010.—
Allie Garfinkle,
Fortune,
4 Nov. 2025
-
For costume designer Nicky Smith, helping Robinson and Kanin deliver on the show’s eccentric potential meant working against her natural inclinations.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Leans.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leans. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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