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
Relevance
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of leverage
Jason Ma, Fortune, 2 Aug. 2025
Seems like any time an MLB owner seeks leverage in negotiations with a current city, Nashville gets mentioned as a prospective home.
—Gentry Estes, The Tennessean, 26 July 2025
Jené Luciani Sena
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links., FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2025
The council, launched by the British government and the City of London, is working through how to leverage the city’s deep capital markets and history of financial innovation to make the city—and the country—the world’s green-finance leader.
—Justin Worland, Time, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for leverage
Noun
Congress’ leverage over the Fed is not lost on lawmakers.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 2 Aug. 2025
Seems like any time an MLB owner seeks leverage in negotiations with a current city, Nashville gets mentioned as a prospective home.
—Gentry Estes, The Tennessean, 26 July 2025
Verb
Original price: $11.99 A disk like this one leverages the natural antimicrobial properties of copper to keep bird bath water cleaner.
—Jené Luciani Sena
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links., FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2025
The council, launched by the British government and the City of London, is working through how to leverage the city’s deep capital markets and history of financial innovation to make the city—and the country—the world’s green-finance leader.
—Justin Worland, Time, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for leverage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leverage
Noun
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The group combines country, Western, rock and roll, pop and surf rock with soundtrack and new age influences, and has been praised by outlets like The Wall Street Journal.—
Duante Beddingfield,
Freep.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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Open-source projects often wield a different, more substantial type of influence over technical standards, security protocols and even the ethical frameworks that govern the use of technology.—
Kevin Korte,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Over the years, investigators pursued multiple leads without success, releasing a composite sketch of the suspect and using genetic genealogy and familial DNA testing in search of a match.—
Stephanie Murray,
AZCentral.com,
9 Aug. 2025
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Photos used in this column were made possible by the Barry Bingham Jr. Photograph Collection, which is maintained by University of Louisville Archives & Special Collections staff.—
Leo Bertucci,
Louisville Courier Journal,
9 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Although New Yorkers have heavily leaned Democratic in most local and statewide elections, Republicans have gained traction with the help of a strong base combined with more political sway from independent voters.—
Nick Mordowanec,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Aug. 2025
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Traditional models of persuasion designed to push, nudge, or steer don't hold as much sway in a world where the consumer is often one step ahead.—
Teja Chekuri,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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During the leak, former and current customers' information was exploited, including names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth and more personal details.—
Shelby Slade,
AZCentral.com,
15 Aug. 2025
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Phishing, malware and misinformation relentlessly exploit weak points in online systems.—
Akram Atallah,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Important numbers like this must be fair and accurate, they can't be manipulated for political purposes.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Aug. 2025
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Important numbers like this must be fair and accurate, they can’t be manipulated for political purposes.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Published in April, the Change Associates review found that a small number of employees continue to abuse their power at the corporation.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
7 Aug. 2025
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His father, a livery man, didn’t understand him, and apparently abused him.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Leverage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leverage. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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