as in influence
the power to direct the thinking or behavior of others usually indirectly
lacking much of the leverage it once had, the union is now being forced to make some concessions
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to use
to take unfair advantage of
a reality show contestant who's trying to leverage her 15 minutes of fame
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of leverage
David Heacock, Fortune, 8 Feb. 2026
Aroldis Chapman will return as the closer, Garrett Whitlock as the top set-up man, Justin Slaten, Greg Weissert and Zack Kelly have clear paths as mid-leverage options, Jovani Moran is the favorite to be the lone non-closer left-hander and Ryan Watson should be a lock as a Rule 5 pick.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 8 Feb. 2026
Cara Ocobock, The Conversation, 6 Feb. 2026
Host countries also tend to leverage the games to make a diplomatic statement.
—Samuel Sanders, Time, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for leverage
Noun
For most of American history, leverage belonged to people who could hire large teams, raise capital, or build software.
—David Heacock, Fortune, 8 Feb. 2026
Aroldis Chapman will return as the closer, Garrett Whitlock as the top set-up man, Justin Slaten, Greg Weissert and Zack Kelly have clear paths as mid-leverage options, Jovani Moran is the favorite to be the lone non-closer left-hander and Ryan Watson should be a lock as a Rule 5 pick.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 8 Feb. 2026
Verb
While these aren’t commonly used in the gear athletes wear, NASA has been experimenting with them for a long time, and many commercially available products leverage this technology.
—Cara Ocobock, The Conversation, 6 Feb. 2026
Host countries also tend to leverage the games to make a diplomatic statement.
—Samuel Sanders, Time, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for leverage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leverage
Noun
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Global celebrity influence Zendaya begins her brand ambassadorship at Louis Vuitton — and is the face of its 2026 130th anniversary campaign.—
Tonya Blazio-Licorish,
Footwear News,
10 Feb. 2026
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Pinder described the choir’s sound as modern gospel with influences from contemporary Christian music and Caribbean traditions.—
Jonel Juste,
Miami Herald,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Trump has repeatedly threatened to use force to compel Iran to agree to constrain its nuclear program and over Tehran's crackdown on nationwide protests.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
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Discoverability, most people just use algorithms to find music nowadays.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The only recognizable Mustard tic is the ubiquitous finger snaps, which mostly add sway.—
Stephen Kearse,
Pitchfork,
11 Feb. 2026
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Banks and supermarkets sit on corners where drug dealers held sway.—
Michael Powell,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But the threat of extremist nihilistic groups goes beyond individual harm to exploited children, the federal memos obtained by CNN show.—
Curt Devine,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
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But experts say that the state program has lacked thorough oversight and accountability, allowing a small group of manufacturers to exploit the program’s robust endowments.—
Tony Briscoe,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Corporations known to have manipulated rental prices & housing supply should be closely monitored.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
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During the hours before and during the Super Bowl, Little said, the company detected attempts to manipulate birthdates at triple or more the usual rate.—
Nick Penzenstadler,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Videos and photos seized from Epstein's homes in New York, Florida and the Virgin Islands didn't depict victims being abused or implicate anyone else in his crimes, a prosecutor wrote in one 2025 memo.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
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At least two women who were prostituted and abused by Epstein and his clients had Colorado connections.—
Noelle Phillips,
Denver Post,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Leverage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leverage. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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