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.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of leaning
Belinda Luscombe, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
Xi conveyed a message that America’s protectionist leanings are simultaneously futile and disruptive.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 9 Sep. 2025
Amanda Castro
hannah Parry
joshua Rhett Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Trump officials have also threatened to go after left-leaning groups over the shooting.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for leaning
Noun
Is there tension in the in-law political leanings?
—Belinda Luscombe, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
Xi conveyed a message that America’s protectionist leanings are simultaneously futile and disruptive.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
Robinson's mother told authorities her son had grown more politically left-leaning over the past year and had become increasingly supportive of gay and trans rights.
—Amanda Castro
hannah Parry
joshua Rhett Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Trump officials have also threatened to go after left-leaning groups over the shooting.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for leaning
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leaning
Adjective
-
Three key players — defensive tackle Benito Jones (oblique), edge rusher Chop Robinson (knee) and wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (shoulder) — are questionable.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
18 Sep. 2025
-
That's on display this September with Roman Anthony on the shelf with an oblique injury and Alex Bregman, who could opt-out of his deal at season's end, in a significant slump in the second half.—
Tim Crowley,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The 50-week moving average in July crossed above the 200-week moving average, indicating that an upward direction of trend may now be in place.—
John Navin,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
-
And radical, if coming from any direction, is not good.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
While bad tendencies showed up in each loss enough good things seemed to appear in the wins.—
Larry Fleisher,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
That approach stems from a tendency to question the foundations upon which conventional wisdom is built.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Gave up a field-tilting play defensively and missed a field goal.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
16 Sep. 2025
-
In traditional builds, this allows your PCI Express cards to be inserted straight down into the slot, rather than tilting the card and finessing its bracket through a rear-panel hole.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In the meantime, the beavers on Rocky Branch are still there, tending to their pond.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Sep. 2025
-
The main attraction of the bobs trending for fall 2025 is that they’re aimed to be very relaxed, easy to style, and overall low-maintenance, which is why the length is tending to fall a bit lower than your classic chin-length bob.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Over-relying on the technology can reduce critical thinking, affect creativity and decrease one's ability to perform tasks independently.—
Roman Vrublivskyi,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
-
The protocol was designed to avoid long-term trust between various devices by relying on temporary, limited-time credentials known as tickets.—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Residing in London after fleeing Mexico City during the Second Franco-Mexican war, Gabriela is no longer content to wait for her father to inevitably summon her home now that the tide of the war is changing in Mexico’s favor.—
Mia Sosa,
PEOPLE,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Maxar/Google Earth The Hague tribunal's 2016 ruling under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea classified Subi Reef as a low-tide elevation, not entitled to its own territorial sea or exclusive economic zone.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
That is, the inclination to keep score of what each partner gives and receives, and operate within the relationship accordingly.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
-
No other player has a similar inclination to hold width.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Leaning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leaning. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share