as in influence
the power to direct the thinking or behavior of others usually indirectly
lacking much of the leverage it once had, the union is now being forced to make some concessions
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to use
to take unfair advantage of
a reality show contestant who's trying to leverage her 15 minutes of fame
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of leverage
Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
And Hamas saw holding the Israeli hostages as leverage, and key to getting Palestinian prisoners released.
—Shibley Telhami, Time, 13 Oct. 2025
Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2025
Instead of proving their case with solid evidence, prosecutors try to take shortcuts by weaponizing rap lyrics, leveraging more than 40 years of hostile media treatment of rap — and rap’s own rugged artistic tradition — to confuse juries and introduce racial bias.
—Dina Lapolt, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for leverage
Noun
With layoffs prevalent in tech, employers have more leverage to mandate in-office work, Uzzaman said.
—Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
And Hamas saw holding the Israeli hostages as leverage, and key to getting Palestinian prisoners released.
—Shibley Telhami, Time, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
By leveraging commercial innovation, Anduril aims to reduce costs, speed up deployment, and ensure the system can evolve through software and hardware upgrades.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2025
Instead of proving their case with solid evidence, prosecutors try to take shortcuts by weaponizing rap lyrics, leveraging more than 40 years of hostile media treatment of rap — and rap’s own rugged artistic tradition — to confuse juries and introduce racial bias.
—Dina Lapolt, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for leverage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leverage
Noun
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Frehley’s friends and fellow musicians remembered him and his influence.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
17 Oct. 2025
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Critics have also said that political portrayals of Antifa as a unified or centrally directed domestic terror group exaggerate its organization and influence.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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However, since the May request, the department has signed a $172 million contract with Gulfstream to buy not one but two used G700 jets.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
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The breathable cotton quilt is lightweight enough to use year-round, but the warm tones beckon for fall.—
Sheri Kaz,
Better Homes & Gardens,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
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While the film versions of their work, most notably Babes in Arms starring Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney, are considered classics, their stage productions do not hold the same sway in popular culture as those of Rodgers and Hammerstein.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Oct. 2025
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As Boyle noted, Dak in particular is the player with perhaps the most leadership sway on how CU’s season turns out.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In theory, Slot’s tactical out-of-possession shuffle to a staggered 4-3-3 should help Liverpool to defend on their right flank, but the ease with which Chelsea exploited the space was a culmination of weeks of warning signs.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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What figures such as Tate, Caz, Maalouf, and others are doing is exploiting civil instability and installing themselves as truth-tellers in a society where experts can’t be trusted.—
T. M. Brown,
New Yorker,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The ethical dimension of creating and manipulating living brain cells remains under discussion.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Oct. 2025
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Don't Look Now manipulates audiences' minds, mixing elements of the occult with the overwhelming need for hope into a plot twist audiences will find difficult to swallow.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Why this threat matters The Deep Research agent was designed to perform multistep research and summarize online data, but its wide access to third-party apps like Gmail, Google Drive and Dropbox also opened the door to abuse.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
18 Oct. 2025
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He was hit with a massive $50,000 fine for verbally abusing officials back in 2023, and he was slapped with a $14,000 fine for a violent gesture during a game against the Buffalo Bills last season.—
Michael Gallagher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Leverage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leverage. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
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