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
Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 11 Mar. 2026
The suite of nine resorts, located across four continents, leans into hyper-personalized stays, with an average of 25 guest rooms on each property.
—Maya Kachroo-Levine, Travel + Leisure, 11 Mar. 2026
The evening lineup in the festival’s main hub, the Paramount Theatre on Congress Ave, leans more indie this year.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 11 Mar. 2026
So do Taco Bell’s partnerships, for example, with Doritos, and how the fast-food chain leans into humor and relatability in a way that’s consistent, creative and profitable, Gilligan added.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 10 Mar. 2026
Feelwise, this one leans buoyant.
—Bailey Berg, Architectural Digest, 10 Mar. 2026
Import-dependent Asia, which leans heavily on the Middle East, is feeling the most immediate pain.
—Yongchang Chin, Fortune, 8 Mar. 2026
The cooking leans into that fire—steaks, roasted vegetables, and even the many tasty cocktails to choose from.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Mar. 2026
As the former Harry Potter star walks away, another audience member—a stranger—leans across the aisle.
—Eliana Dockterman, Time, 5 Mar. 2026
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
The menu goes beyond basic survival food and leans into the show's reward challenges, giving fans a literal taste of what contestants eat in Fiji.
—Tania Francois, CBS News, 31 Jan. 2026
At times, poetcore leans into hipster territory.
—India Roby, InStyle, 16 Jan. 2026
The Sade Girl aesthetic leans into this style but embraces the singer’s sultry look—think effortless and chic.
—Essence, 16 Jan. 2026
Verb
Inside, the roughly 4,300-square-foot home leans into more traditional materials than many of the area’s glassy modern houses.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 11 Mar. 2026
The suite of nine resorts, located across four continents, leans into hyper-personalized stays, with an average of 25 guest rooms on each property.
—Maya Kachroo-Levine, Travel + Leisure, 11 Mar. 2026
The evening lineup in the festival’s main hub, the Paramount Theatre on Congress Ave, leans more indie this year.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 11 Mar. 2026
So do Taco Bell’s partnerships, for example, with Doritos, and how the fast-food chain leans into humor and relatability in a way that’s consistent, creative and profitable, Gilligan added.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 10 Mar. 2026
Feelwise, this one leans buoyant.
—Bailey Berg, Architectural Digest, 10 Mar. 2026
Import-dependent Asia, which leans heavily on the Middle East, is feeling the most immediate pain.
—Yongchang Chin, Fortune, 8 Mar. 2026
The cooking leans into that fire—steaks, roasted vegetables, and even the many tasty cocktails to choose from.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Mar. 2026
As the former Harry Potter star walks away, another audience member—a stranger—leans across the aisle.
—Eliana Dockterman, Time, 5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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
The menu goes beyond basic survival food and leans into the show's reward challenges, giving fans a literal taste of what contestants eat in Fiji.
—Tania Francois, CBS News, 31 Jan. 2026
At times, poetcore leans into hipster territory.
—India Roby, InStyle, 16 Jan. 2026
The Sade Girl aesthetic leans into this style but embraces the singer’s sultry look—think effortless and chic.
—Essence, 16 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leans
Verb
-
After ushering a reporter inside, Smith tilts his head back and peers across his desk, where papers are folded and arranged with geometric precision.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Even as the sport tilts further toward the much-wealthier programs, locals here still choose to endure gnarly traffic and crowd onto State’s hilltop campus to watch Mountain West Conference men’s competition.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Rainwater tends to accumulate at the road edges.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Mar. 2026
-
The disease tends to grow quickly and be difficult to diagnose, Felchi said.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The state relies on mountain snowpack for around 95% of its water supply.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
7 Mar. 2026
-
StateImpact Oklahoma is a partnership of Oklahoma’s public radio stations which relies on contributions from readers and listeners to fulfill its mission of public service to Oklahoma and beyond.—
Jillian Taylor,
StateImpact,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The result is a strong ability to climb inclines, and better balance on more rugged, technical terrain.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Yards with narrow passages, tight corners, and many obstacles like trees, shrubs, or garden beds, or steep inclines make the use of a riding lawnmower, especially a traditional riding mower, more tedious than helpful.—
Nadia Hassani,
The Spruce,
22 Feb. 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
-
Regulatory hurdles could slow deployment, and the long-term success of microgrids likely depends on whether their power sources are both reliable and sustainable.—
April Roach,Gaelle Legrand,
CNBC,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Service for products on the vintage list depends on spare parts availability, whereas Apple does not provide hardware service or parts for products on the obsolete list.—
Jibin Joseph,
PC Magazine,
11 Mar. 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 13 Mar. 2026.
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