LEAVENING Synonyms: 37 Similar and Opposite Words

leavening

verb

Definition of leavening

present participle of leaven

as in enlivening

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for leavening

Verb

But Feels Like Trouble serves as an excellent reminder that dissent can be enlivening.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026
Similarly, the interplay enacted in the exhibition between Jafa’s and Prince’s work forces us as visitors to actively participate in a practice of juxtapositional thinking ourselves, producing a momentum that is at once menacing and enlivening.

— Tina M. Campt, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of enlivening

Verb

Some of us seem to naturally have this irresistible aliveness, often invigorating those around us.

— Joan M. Cook, Time, 17 Oct. 2026
When daily life can feel quite bruising and fractious, documentaries skillfully encourage us to let our guard down and connect with real-life stories and people… sometimes challenging, often invigorating, and always meaningful.

— Matthew Carey, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of invigorating

Verb

The new record is the closest that the two have come to infusing their distinctive DJing style into their original productions.

— Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 22 Oct. 2026
Throughout the book, Przystup shares ways of infusing the seasons into her daily life and home with crafty decor, rituals, hosting, and more.

— Anna Grace Lee, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of infusing

Verb

But Mahomes being Mahomes, and animating the offense in Reid’s vision and beyond, this isn’t one-way stuff.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2026
The heartland In America’s heartland, voters told ABC News energy prices and the president’s trade policy were animating discussions around the midterm elections, including in a competitive Iowa senate race.

— ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of animating

Verb

People Are Manipulated, Not Just Systems Phishing and social engineering attacks are launched against potential victims and work by imbuing fear, urgency, greed and curiosity.

— Steve Durbin, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
The production’s director, José Luis Valenzuela, said imbuing the ancient play with the political tones of current times helped highlight the eternal primacy of the values present in the text without explicitly talking about Latino communities.

— Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of imbuing

Verb

The effectiveness of the standard flu shot typically ranges from 22% to 56% in inoculating the population against the illness, according to Mayo Clinic.

— Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 7 Aug. 2026
Soldiers were self-inoculating without quarantine—which led to rampant rates of infection.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026

Definition of inoculating

Verb

The threat of shattered glass if the bottle breaks, the subsequent odor suffusing all the items in your carryon, liquids seeping dangerously close to electronics—none of it sounds like a good idea.

— Chloe Schama, Vogue, 1 Sep. 2026
But Pete took the idea one step further, taking the organization’s iconic symbol — the star — and suffusing it with a deeper meaning.

— Rustin Dodd, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of suffusing

Verb

Meanwhile, steeping the banana peels in milk gives the topping an extra layer of banana flavor without adding extra fruit or moisture.

— Joe Sevier, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 July 2026
When her plants need a bit of extra support, Etemadipour might also add leftover tea by re-steeping tea leaves and using the second, weaker cup directly in her garden.

— Emily Hayes, Martha Stewart, 28 June 2026

Definition of steeping

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.

Browse Nearby Words

leavened

leavening

leavens

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Leavening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leavening. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of leavening

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on leavening

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

milieu

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes