as in oblique
running in a slanting direction
the leaning tower of Pisa is a popular tourist attraction in Italy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in direction
a prevailing or general movement or inclination
the news media are often accused of having liberal leanings
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in tendency
a habitual attraction to some activity or thing
despite what his athletic leanings might suggest, he was actually a very lazy kid
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in tilting
to set or cause to be at an angle
just lean the ladder against the tree and climb up it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tending
to show a liking or proneness (for something)
the family's diet leans toward greasy food
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in relying
to place reliance or trust
you can always lean on me if you need help
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of leaning
Adam Beam, AJC.com, 27 Jan. 2026
The upstart Zentrum union is growing fast and makes no secret of its political leanings.
—William Wilkes, Bloomberg, 27 Jan. 2026
Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 7 Feb. 2026
Over the years, the Boca Raton location distinguished itself by leaning heavily into social media.
—Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for leaning
Noun
This article has been updated to provide more context about the study of professional athletes’ political leanings and to give a breakdown of the racial makeup of Major League Baseball.
—Adam Beam, AJC.com, 27 Jan. 2026
The upstart Zentrum union is growing fast and makes no secret of its political leanings.
—William Wilkes, Bloomberg, 27 Jan. 2026
Verb
Beauty is another company that Tiwari sees leaning into the 2016 trend, with the brand tapping Nina Dobrev to star in a recent campaign.
—Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 7 Feb. 2026
Over the years, the Boca Raton location distinguished itself by leaning heavily into social media.
—Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for leaning
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leaning
Adjective
-
During the playoffs, Darnold played through an oblique injury that many thought would limit his production.—
Antwan Staley,
Hartford Courant,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Outfielder Kyle Stowers emerged as an All-Star and was trending toward receiving down-ballot MVP votes before his season ended with a left oblique strain in mid-August.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Maybe that school of thought will change if the line on the chart below continues to move in an upward direction.—
Stuart James,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The threat to these businesses came from an unexpected direction.—
Peyton Forte,
Fortune,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
If readers are at all uncertain of his sociopathic tendencies, Heathcliff then hangs his wife’s dog.—
Natasha O'Neill,
Vanity Fair,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The Turkish experience also speaks to the tendency of diasporas to become politically frozen at the moment of departure from their home countries.—
Michael Paarlberg,
The Conversation,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Inside the administration, the balance of power appears to be tilting away from the noninterventionists and toward the hawks — at least, for now.—
Matt K. Lewis,
Mercury News,
13 Jan. 2026
-
The court’s four liberal justices at the time joined him over the other conservative justices’ dissents; Trump has since appointed Justice Amy Coney Barrett to replace former Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, tilting the court further in conservatives’ favor.—
Zach Schonfeld,
The Hill,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
That could look like doing physical labor at work, schlepping toddlers whose motivation to walk is shaky, or tending a backyard garden come spring.—
Meg Wingerter,
Denver Post,
11 Feb. 2026
-
His prolonged absence was due to his service as a loyal butler tending to the needs of the first family of the United States.—
John Wrory Ficklin,
Time,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The research team focused on solving this problem at the hardware level rather than relying only on software improvements.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Feb. 2026
-
For veterans relying on disability benefits to cover rent, food or medical care, those delays can be devastating.—
Irene Watkins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Their test setup involved a ramp containing sand to simulate sloping dunes on Mars.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
As new arrivals tried to find their footing, a tide of homicides and drug dealing swept in.—
Michael Powell,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Anything left to mention A 4x4 transfer along a road (and beach, depending on the tide) is the usual way to get there, but the fantasy arrival would be to wade ashore after sailing along the coast on a traditional dhow.—
Megan Spurrell,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Leaning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leaning. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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