inclined; inclining
1
: to bend the head or body forward : bow
2
: to lean, tend, or become drawn toward an opinion or course of conduct
3
: to deviate from a line, direction, or course
specifically
: to deviate from the vertical or horizontal
1
: to cause to stoop or bow : bend
2
: to have influence on : persuade
his love of books inclined him toward a literary career
3
: to give a bend or slant to
incliner
noun
Examples of incline in a Sentence
Verb
She listened with her eyes closed and her head inclined.
The road inclines at an angle of about 12 degrees.
His love of books inclined him toward a literary career.
Noun
We drove up a steep incline to the summit.
You can adjust the incline of the ramp.
Recent Examples on the Web
Justin Kaufmann, Axios, 24 Feb. 2025
And, in fact, the moon can range even farther to the north and south than the sun because its orbit is inclined 5.1 degrees to the ecliptic.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 7 Feb. 2025
Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2025
Before this year, viewership had been on a steady incline, rising heftily from the hostless 2021 Oscars, which drew an audience of 10.4 million.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incline
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Verb
Reality check: Both the Blackhawks and the Bulls have had terrible seasons, so fed-up fans may not be inclined to support losing teams.
—Justin Kaufmann, Axios, 24 Feb. 2025
And, in fact, the moon can range even farther to the north and south than the sun because its orbit is inclined 5.1 degrees to the ecliptic.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 7 Feb. 2025
Noun
At the immunity challenge, the three tribes had to work together over a long and complicated obstacle course that involved pulling a sled full of puzzle pieces, moving heavy sandbags, pulling the sled up a steep incline and solving a giant puzzle.
—Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2025
Before this year, viewership had been on a steady incline, rising heftily from the hostless 2021 Oscars, which drew an audience of 10.4 million.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incline
Cite this Entry
“Incline.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incline. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
incline
1 of 2 verb
in·cline
in-ˈklīn 
inclined; inclining
1
: to bend the head or body forward : bow
2
: to be drawn to an opinion or course of action
inclined to go swimming
4
: to cause to bend, bow, or slant
5
: to have influence on : persuade
my teacher's example inclined me to become a teacher too
inclinable
adjective
in-ˈklī-nə-bəl
incline
2 of 2 noun
in·cline
ˈin-ˌklīn
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