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
Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 8 May 2025
Political leanings of the organizations don’t affect how employees are treated.
—Margot MacHol Bisnow, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025
Casually leaning back in a chair, surrounded by other retirees in Plantation, Marc Kaye, 78, expresses the same emotions as Wilde.
—Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for leaning
Noun
Over the years, the controversial Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright has drawn ire for both his political leanings and the content of his work, both on stage and screen.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 8 May 2025
Political leanings of the organizations don’t affect how employees are treated.
—Margot MacHol Bisnow, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
Verb
Voila, the best of both worlds entails leaning into generative AI and LLMs as your negotiating tutor.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025
Casually leaning back in a chair, surrounded by other retirees in Plantation, Marc Kaye, 78, expresses the same emotions as Wilde.
—Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for leaning
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leaning
Adjective
-
Chisholm had missed more than a month with an oblique strain.—
Brendan Kuty,
New York Times,
7 June 2025
-
The Yankees’ third baseman said that he’s been playing at 70% since returning from an oblique strain on Tuesday.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
7 June 2025
Noun
-
Holden praised Indicator, citing their focused direction and curation.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
7 June 2025
-
His regular-season numbers are astonishing, but so are his postseason stats… in the opposite direction.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
7 June 2025
Noun
-
Republicans argue these tactics reflect a tendency by the governor to prioritize optics over sustainable fiscal solutions.—
Elaine Mallon,
The Washington Examiner,
16 June 2025
-
Key inputs to this call include the tendencies of mature bull markets, some likely profit-margin slippage from tariffs, moderating earnings gains and the chance that the Fed will resume rate cuts in coming months.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
14 June 2025
Verb
-
The trailer for With Love, Meghan was released two weeks ahead of the show's premiere and features the Duchess performing a number of activities from tending to a beehive to arranging flowers at a shop and hosting a mix of friends and celebrity guests.—
Rebecca Aizin,
People.com,
3 Jan. 2025
-
The trailer for With Love, Meghan was released two weeks ahead of the show's premiere and features the Duchess performing a number of activities from tending to a beehive to arranging flowers at a shop and hosting a mix of friends and celebrity guests.—
Rebecca Aizin,
People.com,
3 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Use curiosity to guide problem-solving instead of relying on control.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes,
4 Jan. 2025
-
Los Angeles’ offense has condensed into relying more on James, Davis and Reaves, with no better example than against Atlanta.—
Jovan Buha,
The Athletic,
4 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Espinosa, who only assumed leadership of the Japanese automaker in April, faces an uphill battle to change the tide of Nissan's whittled down fortunes.—
Ruxandra Iordache,Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
4 June 2025
-
But now, the sight of American airplanes over Manila signaled a shift in the tide of war.—
Jeff Langholz,
Sun Sentinel,
25 May 2025
Noun
-
In conversations about smart buildings or workplace technology, there’s often an inclination to jump to the latest tools or features.—
Swapna Sathyan,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
-
This is because a planet's altitude in the sky is dependent in part on the inclination of the ecliptic relative to the horizon, which shifts throughout the year due to Earth's wobbling orbit.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
31 May 2025
Noun
-
Upscale Migration Recent data reveals a trend among luxury homebuyers towards semi-rural or gated communities, seeking a balance between privacy and urban connectivity.—
Loch Lloyd Residential Real Estate,
Kansas City Star,
15 June 2025
-
Criticizing health care funding in TV shows this season seems to be a trend, with The Pitt staff dealing with similar insufficient resources.—
Beatrice Verhoeven,
HollywoodReporter,
14 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Leaning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leaning. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share