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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

left

2 of 2

verb

past tense of leave
1
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
5
6

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
Lafrenière is a left shot, but Sullivan was hesitant to play him on the left last year. Peter Baugh, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026 Stuttering lines, on the left, jerking up and down, denote the rattle of guns; on the right, the lines are all but flat, as silence descends. Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026 On a sweep run to the left to running back Jaydon Blue, Overshown flew through the running lane and was cut off by fullback Hunter Luepke. Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Aug. 2026 The controversial billionaire tax won the backing of the California Democratic Party on Sunday, the latest twist in the drama surrounding a measure that has roiled the left and its allies. Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for left
Recent Examples of Synonyms for left
Noun
  • The 11th Congressional District territory has long been a central hub of American liberalism, in and around iconic neighborhoods such as Castro, Haight-Ashbury, Chinatown, and the Mission District.
    Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 1 Aug. 2026
  • And Jonathan is a continuing reminder that liberalism doesn’t have to be apologetic or bashful about itself.
    David Frum, The Atlantic, 29 July 2026
Verb
  • The train station hulked behind barbed wire, abandoned for years, both witness to and eight million bricks’ worth of evidence of Detroit's near-collapse.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 July 2026
  • Niccol’s plan involved hiring more workers to cut down on long wait times, which in some cases had gotten so bad people abandoned their orders altogether .
    Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 30 July 2026
Verb
  • But instead, many Africans were further exploited and bequeathed with debt that continues to this day.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 July 2026
  • The avenues running along the park’s eastern and western edges are framed by museums, art galleries, and concert halls bequeathed by Carnegies, Morgans, and Fricks.
    Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 20 July 2026
Verb
  • Conflict began in the country in 2013 after mostly Muslim rebels seized power and forced then President François Bozizé to quit.
    ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Garcia quit her job as a pharmacy tech to help manage her son's behavior.
    Larry Seward, CBS News, 31 July 2026
Verb
  • The two embraced as Kimmel handed them a novelty check for Affleck’s charity.
    Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 30 July 2026
  • Sampath’s departure, months after he was handed a multimillion-dollar retention package, left the company without an heir apparent.
    Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 30 July 2026
Verb
  • The Swannanoa River, across Highway 70 from Barker's street, rose to historic levels after Hurricane Helene dumped intense rainfall on the Appalachian region, after the area had already been hit by a storm just days before.
    Ginger Zee, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
  • The wind whips up sewage dried to a powder that's been dumped for years onto an arid riverbed near the fishing settlement of Rehri Goth, on the outskirts of the Pakistani port city of Karachi.
    Diaa Hadid, NPR, 2 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Nola has allowed at least one home run in 16 of 22 starts this year, including four straight and eight of his last nine.
    Josh Shepardson, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Tolle allowed two runs, both on a homer from Teoscar Hernández, but stranded the bases loaded in an impressive second inning.
    Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The labor unrest had also followed a four-day strike by flight attendants last August at larger rival Air Canada that stranded half a million passengers.
    Reuters, NBC news, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Some struggled to find accommodations while they were stranded away from home, and others were left unable to reschedule flights.
    ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Left.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/left. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on left

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!