as in bowing
bending downward or forward
the inclining branches of the evergreens seemed almost ready to break under the weight of the heavy snow
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in tilting
to set or cause to be at an angle
carefully inclined the ladder against the house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in leaning
to show a liking or proneness (for something)
a good restaurant for diners who incline to spicy food
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inclining
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2025
Outside a San Diego immigration court, a man, his mother, and his two daughters stand in a tight circle, inclining their heads toward a priest.
—Sophie Hills, Christian Science Monitor, 30 Aug. 2025
Verb
The trim and inclining experiment is to confirm the centre of gravity of the submarine and is measured by naval architects in both surfaced and submerged conditions.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2025
Outside a San Diego immigration court, a man, his mother, and his two daughters stand in a tight circle, inclining their heads toward a priest.
—Sophie Hills, Christian Science Monitor, 30 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inclining
Verb
-
Well, for starters, in environments where space is constrained, such as industrial sites, dense urban areas, or indoor facilities, the ability to move laterally without tilting greatly reduces collision risk.—
Etiido Uko
March 30,
New Atlas,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Fossil fuel political donations and lobbying have resulted in rich subsidies, making their products artificially cheap and tilting the competitive playing field to their advantage versus renewable energy.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But News Corporation executives somehow directed Chalker to Daniel Halpern, the bushy-haired and left-leaning editor of the company’s literary imprint Ecco Press.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The Noongar Wongi rapper from Boorloo (Perth), still a teenager, delivered a full-band take on the 2003 conscious hip-hop classic, leaning into its themes of global division and compassion with a confidence that belied his age.—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
James O’Donoghue, a planetary scientist with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, likened our planet’s tilting phenomenon to a nodding head.—
Aylin Woodward,
WSJ,
21 Dec. 2021
Verb
-
Tenkan-sen is above the Kijun-sen, with both lines sloping upward.—
Karl Montevirgen,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Besides the value of its open spaces and sloping landscapes amid the city center, Bayfront Park is a sign of faith that if the city is willing to invest $30 million downtown, its citizens will be encouraged to build, shop and live there.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The film is set in a mountain village where an elderly woman named Hettie (Hettie Farmer) lives alone on a small farm, tending her flock of goats with increasing difficulty.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Nevertheless, the film shines with atmospheric nuances and Ringwald’s away-from-school life (working in a record store, tending her dad) taps into common teen-age problems.—
Duane Byrge,
HollywoodReporter,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
With bowed heads, friends and classmates wrapped their arms around each other.—
Keri Heath,
Austin American Statesman,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Instead of your standard dress shoes, Styles finished the look with a perfect pair of minty-green ballet flats with bowed laces.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
2 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
And every day, across from them, outside the clinic, about to enter or just leaving, there were women hugging each other and weeping.—
David Mamet,
National Review,
11 Aug. 2022
-
The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.—
Helen Shaw,
Vulture,
8 Dec. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Inclining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inclining. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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