left 1 of 2

Definition of leftnext
as in liberalism
a political belief stressing progress, the essential goodness of humankind, and individual freedom a rising politician who is being hailed as the new voice of the left

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

left

2 of 2

verb

past tense of leave
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2
as in bequeathed
to give by means of a will I'm going to leave all of my possessions to my children

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in quit
to give up (a job or office) he left his job in the city and moved out into the country

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

4
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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 left
Noun
When Holloway pulled the puck back to his forehand to finish into the empty net, he was robbed by Morrissey, who had slid desperately to his left like a street hockey goalie to make a shocking stick save. Murat Ates, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026 Orion is visible in the foreground on the left. Miles Doran, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026 Make the same left, then the same right. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2026 Just type a couple of words, and a pencil icon for Meta AI will appear on the left. Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 10 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for left
Recent Examples of Synonyms for left
Noun
  • For his followers, blaspheming the Holocaust and celebrating Hitler became a way to signal contempt for the political religion of postwar liberalism.
    Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
  • Others view their work as part of a broader resurgence in liberalism in New York City that culminated with the election of Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, as mayor last year.
    TIM CRAIG THE WASHINGTON POST, Arkansas Online, 5 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Dozens of homes stood abandoned until they were razed and replaced with signs saying to keep out.
    Stephanie Armour, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
  • The town of Red Ash was abandoned in the 1950s, and today, the island lies quietly as a part of West Virginia’s history, with just a handful of headstones remaining.
    Jordan Charbonneau, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Upon her death in 2022, the Crown Jewels were bequeathed to her son, King Charles.
    Emily Kelleher, InStyle, 8 Apr. 2026
  • To the presentation of personal items, all culled from the trove of clothing and ephemera (photos, letters, books) that Talley bequeathed to SCAD in 2022, Gomes has added some of the gifts to the school’s permanent collection that the style arbiter coaxed out of his designer friends.
    Amy Fine Collins, Air Mail, 28 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Nevertheless, Kayla refused to quit.
    Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 11 Apr. 2026
  • The town has been operating without a local government since January, when its entire Board of Trustees quit following years of bitter infighting and a violent scuffle that sent one of the trustees to the hospital, The Denver Post reported last month.
    Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Wagner was handed the reins for the rest of the season after Cologne fired Lukas Kwasniok as coach on March 22.
    ABC News, ABC News, 12 Apr. 2026
  • She was handed preliminary charges, including failure to help a minor in danger, and released under judicial supervision.
    CBS News, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Detectives believe Rodriguez took the man's body, drove nearly 100 miles away to Highland and dumped the man's body in the road.
    Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026
  • The Norwegian director balanced horror, humor and action with more panache in the films that put him on the map, Dead Snow and its sequel, which dumped Nazi zombies in mountain woodlands.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The 6-foot-10 lefty allowed three runs — two scored on his throwing error — in a shaky first before settling down, and striking out four.
    CBS News, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
  • Carson Kelly’s three-run home run in the ninth allowed Counsell to stay away from closer Daniel Palencia with the Cubs’ lead extended to six runs.
    Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • After weeks of haggling with authorities, Rex Pereira secured three emergency visas to leave the oil tanker where he had been stranded for over a month.
    Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 9 Apr. 2026
  • The murderer, on a road trip from Iowa, had been stranded in Wayne County after hitting an elk and totaling his truck.
    Stephen Trimble, Denver Post, 8 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Left.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/left. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.

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