variants
or levelling
1
as in balancing
to make equal in amount, degree, or status
we'll give both teams the same equipment so as to level the playing field
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in smoothing
to make free from breaks, curves, or bumps
the construction workers leveled the ground before laying a foundation for the new house
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in aiming
to point or turn (something) toward a target or goal
the marksman leveled his gun at the target and fired
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in dropping
to strike (someone) so forcefully as to cause a fall
the boxer leveled his opponent with a single blow
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in demolishing
to destroy (as a building) completely by knocking down or breaking to pieces
an old warehouse that was leveled to build a parking lot
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of leveling
On May 17, a bomb rocked Palm Springs, California – shaking structures for several blocks, shattering glass and leveling one innocuous-looking building.
—
Curt Devine, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
But your interest in separating eggs, stirring continuously, sifting or spooning or levelling flour—in short, your interest in baking—is a lie, although your interest in baked goods remains very much true.
—Talia Argondezzi, New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2026
Tight-fitting clothing minimizes these effects, making competition fairer by leveling the field for all athletes.
—Amy Pope, The Conversation, 2 Feb. 2026
The overhead cabinets feature a self-leveling design to keep contents from sliding or rolling around, allowing campers to keep all their dishes and provisions stored while driving.
—New Atlas, 21 Jan. 2026
Albacete twice took the lead through Javier Villar de Fraile and Betancor, with Franco Mastantuono and then Garcia twice levelling for Madrid.
—Colin Millar, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
Observers believe these could house electromagnets or components for self-leveling suspension.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 30 Dec. 2025
With the puck deep in the San Diego zone and the Canucks threatening, Gulls defenseman Stan Stolberg crushed Nils Aman with a shoulder to the chest, leveling him.
—Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Dec. 2025
The union did get a win in repelling Canada Post’s attempt to implement dynamic routing in the urban unit and load leveling across both segments.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 23 Dec. 2025
Curt Devine, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
But your interest in separating eggs, stirring continuously, sifting or spooning or levelling flour—in short, your interest in baking—is a lie, although your interest in baked goods remains very much true.
—Talia Argondezzi, New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2026
Tight-fitting clothing minimizes these effects, making competition fairer by leveling the field for all athletes.
—Amy Pope, The Conversation, 2 Feb. 2026
The overhead cabinets feature a self-leveling design to keep contents from sliding or rolling around, allowing campers to keep all their dishes and provisions stored while driving.
—New Atlas, 21 Jan. 2026
Albacete twice took the lead through Javier Villar de Fraile and Betancor, with Franco Mastantuono and then Garcia twice levelling for Madrid.
—Colin Millar, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
Observers believe these could house electromagnets or components for self-leveling suspension.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 30 Dec. 2025
With the puck deep in the San Diego zone and the Canucks threatening, Gulls defenseman Stan Stolberg crushed Nils Aman with a shoulder to the chest, leveling him.
—Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Dec. 2025
The union did get a win in repelling Canada Post’s attempt to implement dynamic routing in the urban unit and load leveling across both segments.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 23 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leveling
Verb
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Finally, a justice has to bring practical judgment to balancing competing interests when the legal text does not settle an issue, or the court acts as the leader for the entire state judiciary.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Feb. 2026
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Humphrey's work consists of reviewing thousands of messages and tags, seeking permission from original video creators and balancing humor with teasing.—
Kate Perez,
USA Today,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The three compressions are Spanxsmooth Swim, which is light compression for barely there smoothing; Spanxshape Swim, medium compression for a little more tummy control and shaping, and Spanxsculpt Swim, strong compression that cinches and snatches.—
Lisa Lockwood,
Footwear News,
11 Feb. 2026
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Appealing Venus is parading into your 6th House of Habits, bringing sweetness to routines and smoothing dynamics, which suits a diplomatic style of handling events.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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At a program unaccustomed to recent success, which has two winning seasons in its 20 years as a Division I program, second-year Coach John Shulman has the Bears aiming higher that regular-season accolades.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
15 Feb. 2026
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The Hoosier Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.—
Chris Sims,
IndyStar,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Others on the roster are known for their high-flying dunks, jaw-dropping ball-handling or seemingly limitless range.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
13 Feb. 2026
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And figure skater Ilia Malinin continued redefining the sport, performing a jaw-dropping backflip.—
Tiago Ventura,
Time,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The village is demolishing homes to make way for the redevelopment and will relocate residents elsewhere on campus, Timberlake said.—
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
13 Feb. 2026
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The project calls for demolishing a 1949 single-family home and building a 2,500-square-foot contemporary building to be used as a Jewish ritual pool for women for spiritual purification.—
Lauren Costantino
February 11,
Miami Herald,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Advertisement What’s more, equating darkness with evil and goodness with light may be a relatively recent invention.—
Veronique Greenwood,
Time,
21 Dec. 2025
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Buyers are a 50-50 male/female split with Generation X equating for approximately 50 percent of all buyers.—
Eileen Falkenberg-Hull,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Meanwhile, far from trending toward retail domination, US e-commerce growth is flattening.—
Greg Petro,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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Many tech companies have spent recent years flattening their structure by cutting middle management at a record rate.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But if work, school, doctor's appointments, or other responsibilities prevent one from casting a ballot that day, early voting is an alternative.—
Lauren Victory,
CBS News,
5 Feb. 2026
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Only then did the chemistry of the casting start to surface as the four Monkees came together on the set.—
Peter Larsen,
Daily News,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Leveling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leveling. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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