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
Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 25 Mar. 2026
The new collection features official away jerseys for 25 partner federations—each boasts a Trefoil on the chest and leans heavily into nostalgic ’90s design.
—Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Mar. 2026
Taken together, the package leans more toward versatility and performance than everyday practicality.
—New Atlas, 25 Mar. 2026
Co-written by Alloway and Lily Houghton (adapting Houghton’s 2019 play), the script leans heavily on a version of supposedly contemporary mall culture that never really existed.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 25 Mar. 2026
Even Cillizza still leans Republican on balance.
—Arkansas Online, 24 Mar. 2026
American Hartford Gold leans into market guides and ongoing support, while Augusta offers a more structured educational experience, including one-on-one web conferences led by its Director of Education, Devlyn Steele.
—Nick Perry, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
Hard sci-fi, meanwhile, leans into the fact that life evolving on other planets, under different conditions, and across different stretches of time will almost certainly take on forms so different from ours that comprehending them would be like imagining a new color.
—Tim Brinkhof, Big Think, 24 Mar. 2026
Martin, a native Angeleno and former journalist, leans hard into her spiritual side.
—Ingrid Abramovitch, Architectural Digest, 24 Mar. 2026
David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 31 Mar. 2026
Affia’s catalog leans into science fiction and fantasy stories centered on Black characters.
—Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2026
Tronque’s formula harnesses green coffee and caffeine to help support skin elasticity, while Cyklar’s blend leans into barrier care with ceramides, urea, and squalane.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 23 Mar. 2026
Even if Project Hail Mary at times leans into the sentiment to an almost saccharine degree, the movie’s natural sweetness is disarming.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
No one is competing for attention—the aesthetic leans East Coast understated luxury, with linen sets, oversized sun hats, and Hermès slides rather than logo-forward designer pieces—but most guests dress just polished enough to match the surrounding setting.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Feb. 2026
Compared to traditional date-night cuisine, Hart’s limited menu leans into pungent ingredients like anchovies, garlic and blue cheese.
—Julian Torres, CNN Money, 14 Feb. 2026
Dressed in a plaid button up, the 41-year-old leans into a digital camera on a tripod, with a long telephoto lens pointed toward that plane, and slowly counts.
—Kat Lonsdorf, NPR, 6 Feb. 2026
Instead of tomato, this crowd favorite leans into its winter white moment with a rich homemade white sauce made from butter, flour, garlic, and whole milk.
—Maggie Meyer Glisan, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Feb. 2026
Verb
The bustling suburban area, which includes Clay and Platte counties, typically leans more conservative than the city’s urban core.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 25 Mar. 2026
The new collection features official away jerseys for 25 partner federations—each boasts a Trefoil on the chest and leans heavily into nostalgic ’90s design.
—Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Mar. 2026
Taken together, the package leans more toward versatility and performance than everyday practicality.
—New Atlas, 25 Mar. 2026
Co-written by Alloway and Lily Houghton (adapting Houghton’s 2019 play), the script leans heavily on a version of supposedly contemporary mall culture that never really existed.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 25 Mar. 2026
Even Cillizza still leans Republican on balance.
—Arkansas Online, 24 Mar. 2026
American Hartford Gold leans into market guides and ongoing support, while Augusta offers a more structured educational experience, including one-on-one web conferences led by its Director of Education, Devlyn Steele.
—Nick Perry, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
Hard sci-fi, meanwhile, leans into the fact that life evolving on other planets, under different conditions, and across different stretches of time will almost certainly take on forms so different from ours that comprehending them would be like imagining a new color.
—Tim Brinkhof, Big Think, 24 Mar. 2026
Martin, a native Angeleno and former journalist, leans hard into her spiritual side.
—Ingrid Abramovitch, Architectural Digest, 24 Mar. 2026
Noun
The official property listing leans into the rarity of the apartment’s layout and its position high above the city.
—David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 31 Mar. 2026
Affia’s catalog leans into science fiction and fantasy stories centered on Black characters.
—Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2026
Tronque’s formula harnesses green coffee and caffeine to help support skin elasticity, while Cyklar’s blend leans into barrier care with ceramides, urea, and squalane.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 23 Mar. 2026
Even if Project Hail Mary at times leans into the sentiment to an almost saccharine degree, the movie’s natural sweetness is disarming.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
No one is competing for attention—the aesthetic leans East Coast understated luxury, with linen sets, oversized sun hats, and Hermès slides rather than logo-forward designer pieces—but most guests dress just polished enough to match the surrounding setting.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Feb. 2026
Compared to traditional date-night cuisine, Hart’s limited menu leans into pungent ingredients like anchovies, garlic and blue cheese.
—Julian Torres, CNN Money, 14 Feb. 2026
Dressed in a plaid button up, the 41-year-old leans into a digital camera on a tripod, with a long telephoto lens pointed toward that plane, and slowly counts.
—Kat Lonsdorf, NPR, 6 Feb. 2026
Instead of tomato, this crowd favorite leans into its winter white moment with a rich homemade white sauce made from butter, flour, garlic, and whole milk.
—Maggie Meyer Glisan, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leans
Verb
-
To perform forward motion, the two rear rotors increase speed while the front rotors simultaneously reduce speed, creating an imbalance that tilts the drone and propels it forward.—
Etiido Uko
March 30,
New Atlas,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The public mood is dark, the president is underwater, and the congressional ballot already tilts toward the opposition.—
Dan Gooding,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
This is due in part to the influence of an expected El Niño, a natural climate pattern that tends to reduce Atlantic hurricane activity.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Turning 65 may feel like a milestone, but retirement tends to work best when guided by a clear plan.—
Bruce Helmer,
Twin Cities,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has its own navy that also relies on smaller vessels to do swarm attacks and drop mines.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
My direct experience as a managing partner in a VC firm suggests that startups and venture firms would be particularly hit as their deal-sourcing often relies on tech transfer offices.—
Tomas J. Philipson,
Fortune,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The story follows struggling creatives navigating debt, eviction threats and a precarious gig economy, visualized in Riley’s inventive style — from looming piles of eviction notices to characters literally struggling up and down steep inclines that mirror the instability of their lives.—
Deborah Sengupta Stith,
Austin American Statesman,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Servicing a mountainous areas like Escondido drives up costs, as an expensive network of pipes and pump stations is needed to move water up and down considerable inclines, said Kyle Morgan, the city’s acting director of utilities and wastewater.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
One of my favorite choices is developing a dry creek bed that slopes away from a home's foundation.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Sunrise Park Resort The ski resort in the White Mountains has snow tubing, cross-country skiing and snow biking as well as downhill slopes for skiing and snowboarding.—
Michael Salerno,
AZCentral.com,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The survival of African biennials depends on strategic reinvention.—
Smooth Nzewi,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
-
That depends on how far the Hornets go this postseason and what president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson has as his vision for the team’s starting power forward moving, well, forward beyond the 2026-27 campaign.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
1 Apr. 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
Cite this Entry
“Leans.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leans. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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