le·ver·age
ˈle-və-rij 
ˈlē-;
ˈlev-rij,
ˈlēv-
1
: the action of a lever or the mechanical advantage gained by it
2
: power, effectiveness
trying to gain more political leverage
3
: the use of credit to enhance one's speculative capacity
leveraged; leveraging
1
: to provide (something, such as a corporation) or supplement (something, such as money) with leverage
also
: to enhance as if by supplying with financial leverage
2
: to use for gain : exploit
shamelessly leverage the system to their advantage—
Alexander Wolff
Alexander WolffSynonyms
Examples of leverage in a Sentence
Noun
The union's size gave it leverage in the labor contract negotiations.
The player's popularity has given him a great deal of leverage with the owners of the team.
I used the leverage of the bar and a wooden block to pry the rock out of the hole.
Verb
The company wants to leverage its brands more effectively.
a reality show contestant who's trying to leverage her 15 minutes of fame
Recent Examples on the Web
Kristan Hawkins, Newsweek, 7 Feb. 2025
Until then, hang in there and enjoy the benefit of a president that truly understands the importance of America's leverage in the world while realizing the concept of peace through strength.
—arkansasonline.com, 6 Feb. 2025
Ann Scott Tyson, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Feb. 2025
The filing outlines the company's strategy to leverage its management team's experience to identify and acquire a target business that can benefit from being publicly traded.
—Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 7 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for leverage 
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Noun
David Robertson entered the offseason without much leverage in free agency.
—Kristan Hawkins, Newsweek, 7 Feb. 2025
Until then, hang in there and enjoy the benefit of a president that truly understands the importance of America's leverage in the world while realizing the concept of peace through strength.
—arkansasonline.com, 6 Feb. 2025
Verb
Ann Scott Tyson/The Christian Science Monitor Meanwhile, Mr. Inagaki, the rickshaw puller, is leveraging his Mandarin and making connections on Chinese apps.
—Ann Scott Tyson, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Feb. 2025
The filing outlines the company's strategy to leverage its management team's experience to identify and acquire a target business that can benefit from being publicly traded.
—Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 7 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for leverage
Dictionary Entries Near leverage
Cite this Entry
“Leverage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leverage. Accessed 12 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
leverage
1 of 2 noun
le·ver·age
ˈle-vrij, -və-rij
: the use of credit to enhance one's speculative capacity
leverage
2 of 2 transitive verb
leveraged; leveraging
: to provide (as a corporation) or supplement (as money) with leverage
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