variants
or levelling
1
as in balancing
to make equal in amount, degree, or status
we'll give both teams the same equipment so as to level the playing field
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in smoothing
to make free from breaks, curves, or bumps
the construction workers leveled the ground before laying a foundation for the new house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in aiming
to point or turn (something) toward a target or goal
the marksman leveled his gun at the target and fired
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in dropping
to strike (someone) so forcefully as to cause a fall
the boxer leveled his opponent with a single blow
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in demolishing
to destroy (as a building) completely by knocking down or breaking to pieces
an old warehouse that was leveled to build a parking lot
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 leveling
Grief has a way of leveling us.
—
Jennifer Sodini, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2026
Fears spread online that the president was talking about leveling the country, perhaps with a nuclear weapon.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 6 Apr. 2026
The Brazilian put away a goal with ease, leveling the match in the 37th minute.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2026
In the weeks since, fears of a long-term occupation of southern Lebanon have grown, with Israel moving to establish a buffer zone in the area, leveling homes and destroying bridges over the Litani River, which connects the south to the rest of Lebanon, while taking control of what crossings remain.
—Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 3 Apr. 2026
Local reporters described a massive explosion in one such town on Wednesday, later confirmed to be part of the Israeli military’s expanding policy of detonating and leveling structures to prevent residents from returning.
—Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
Legal challenges Meanwhile, legal charges were brought against Sonko in February 2021 that accused him of rape and of leveling death threats against the person who accused him, a young massage therapist.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Mar. 2026
The crew saw the helicopter and received a traffic alert, responding by leveling the aircraft before landing safely, the airline said.
—Sydney Barragan, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2026
Self-leveling laser for layout and alignment.
—Andrew P. Collins, The Drive, 25 Mar. 2026
Jennifer Sodini, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2026
Fears spread online that the president was talking about leveling the country, perhaps with a nuclear weapon.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 6 Apr. 2026
The Brazilian put away a goal with ease, leveling the match in the 37th minute.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2026
In the weeks since, fears of a long-term occupation of southern Lebanon have grown, with Israel moving to establish a buffer zone in the area, leveling homes and destroying bridges over the Litani River, which connects the south to the rest of Lebanon, while taking control of what crossings remain.
—Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 3 Apr. 2026
Local reporters described a massive explosion in one such town on Wednesday, later confirmed to be part of the Israeli military’s expanding policy of detonating and leveling structures to prevent residents from returning.
—Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
Legal challenges Meanwhile, legal charges were brought against Sonko in February 2021 that accused him of rape and of leveling death threats against the person who accused him, a young massage therapist.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Mar. 2026
The crew saw the helicopter and received a traffic alert, responding by leveling the aircraft before landing safely, the airline said.
—Sydney Barragan, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2026
Self-leveling laser for layout and alignment.
—Andrew P. Collins, The Drive, 25 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leveling
Verb
-
Sprinkles was balancing a few stones atop one another with great concentration.—
Catherine Lacey,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Still, the Sharks are balancing the development of their young guys with the lineup that gives them the best chance to win.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Scrape batter into prepared baking sheet and, using a medium offset spatula, gently spread to edges, smoothing surface.—
Shilpa Uskokovic,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Even better, many leave-in conditioners and hair milks not only boast hair-smoothing benefits, but also heat protection.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
With the Great Tang, BYD is aiming to capture a meaningful share of this fast-growing segment by combining long-range electrification, advanced chassis technologies, and a diverse mix of powertrain options.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The space agency is aiming for a moon landing by two astronauts near the lunar south pole in 2028.—
Marcia Dunn,
Fortune,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson had 17 points and 10 assists to help the Knicks win their second consecutive game after dropping three in a row.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Aitken, last week, asked the city attorney to look into whether dropping the hometown name puts the baseball team in violation of its current lease through 2038 to play in the stadium.—
Victoria Le,
Oc Register,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Plans call for demolishing the three-story former office building on the site and constructing a single-story, 30-foot-tall building containing approximately 26,000 square feet of event space, according to information shared by the village.—
Jennifer Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The city’s long-term plan calls for demolishing the existing facility and replacing it with a new permanent building.—
Karen Kucher,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Contemporary theories of consciousness generally attempt to bridge this gap by equating consciousness with some measurable, physical property of the brain.—
Conor Feehly,
Big Think,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The administration reframes the drug war as military conflict, equating cartels to terrorist groups like ISIS and prioritizing lethal force over law enforcement.—
Joshua Goodman,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
For years, companies have been flattening their organizations and cutting down middle management.—
Jacqueline Munis,
Fortune,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Experts say the Treasury yield curve is flattening, though, which could mean longer-term rates will start to win out in the near future.—
Aly J Yale,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Or at least, that’s the takeaway the governing Labour Party seems to have settled on, casting renewables as more insulated to oil price shocks.—
Natasha Bracken,
semafor.com,
2 Apr. 2026
-
McClarnon joined other actors in a group called the American Indian Registry for the Performing Arts, where casting agents would come to find Native talent.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Leveling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leveling. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
