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

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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

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

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 The spread on the social media giant's five-year credit default swaps reached all-time highs on Thursday, a signal of growing credit concerns from investors as the company leans deeper into its artificial intelligence spending plans. — Cj Haddad, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026 While families are very welcome, the overall atmosphere leans more towards a calm and grown-up feel. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026 ActionHeat leans into buyer education and category explanation content. — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026 Ada County leans red, so any Democratic candidate has to overcome the inherent demographic challenge, said Jeff Lyons, a Boise State University professor in the political science department. — Idaho Statesman, 21 Oct. 2026 Obviously, a child who recently suffered a serious head trauma is far from a reliable narrator, and in the premiere, Paley leans into the subjectivity with distorted sound and imagery. — Alison Herman, Variety, 20 Oct. 2026

Noun

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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for leans

Verb

The numbers also show how often the process tilts toward the party bringing the dispute.

— Christine Cooper, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026
El Niño is not a storm that hits at a particular location, but rather a long duration phenomenon that tilts the odds in favor of extreme weather and climate events for certain areas.

— Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of tilts

Verb

To get those shows to viewers abroad, Netflix now relies on 122 localization partners globally, 119 of them dubbing studios.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 25 Oct. 2026
Although American financial support has collapsed, Ukraine still relies heavily on US intelligence and technology.

— Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of relies

Noun

Lemmo With this kind of kit, the Lemmo 3 should be up to the task of tackling steep inclines and all manner of rough terrain.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Oct. 2026
Cows amble in the distance along the inclines of meadows; their grazing helps control invasive plants.

— Kalpana Mohan, Mercury News, 10 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

Proceeds aren’t the same as taxable gains, and the tax bill depends on the home’s original cost, qualifying improvements, selling expenses and the $500,000 home-sale exclusion for eligible married couples.

— Liz Weston, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
What follows depends largely on altitude and whether operators prepared for retirement.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 25 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