as in leaning
running in a slanting direction
a rickety, tilting staircase that did not look safe
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in sloping
to set or cause to be at an angle
the robin tilts its head as it hunts for worms in the grass
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 tilting
Thomas Mallon, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
Russia fired more than 1,500 drones against Ukraine over successive nights after a brief ceasefire, though the war appears to be tilting in Kyiv’s favor.
—Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 14 May 2026
Her head slid down the leather headrest, neck tilting backward for more happiness to escape, clavicle bared to her husband’s confused gaze.
—‘pemi Aguda, Literary Hub, 6 May 2026
The Osprey was the first production tiltrotor—an aircraft with propellers that can swivel on their mounts, pointing up for vertical takeoff and tilting forward for horizontal flight.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 25 Apr. 2026
Though the Kremlin-friendly Orban had held power for the past 16 years, partly by tilting the electoral system in his favor, his far-right Fidesz party lost to the center-right Tisza party of anti-corruption campaigner Peter Magyar.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 20 Apr. 2026
Pour a heaping 1/3 cup batter into the pan, tilting to coat evenly.
—Kelly McCarthy, ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
The Oilers had a stranglehold on the final frame, tilting the ice completely – but not scoring on Forsberg – until captain Connor McDavid took a penalty.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 11 Apr. 2026
With at least a fragile peace in Iran, sentiment began tilting back toward the probability for a cut.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 8 Apr. 2026
Verb
Romano’s sturdy book may not stint on examples of Mary’s bad behavior—including a ferociously jealous verbal assault, near the end of the war, on the wife of a prominent Union general—but the biographer keeps tilting against those who slighted Mary in even the most superficial ways.
—Thomas Mallon, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
Russia fired more than 1,500 drones against Ukraine over successive nights after a brief ceasefire, though the war appears to be tilting in Kyiv’s favor.
—Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 14 May 2026
Her head slid down the leather headrest, neck tilting backward for more happiness to escape, clavicle bared to her husband’s confused gaze.
—‘pemi Aguda, Literary Hub, 6 May 2026
The Osprey was the first production tiltrotor—an aircraft with propellers that can swivel on their mounts, pointing up for vertical takeoff and tilting forward for horizontal flight.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 25 Apr. 2026
Though the Kremlin-friendly Orban had held power for the past 16 years, partly by tilting the electoral system in his favor, his far-right Fidesz party lost to the center-right Tisza party of anti-corruption campaigner Peter Magyar.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 20 Apr. 2026
Pour a heaping 1/3 cup batter into the pan, tilting to coat evenly.
—Kelly McCarthy, ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
The Oilers had a stranglehold on the final frame, tilting the ice completely – but not scoring on Forsberg – until captain Connor McDavid took a penalty.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 11 Apr. 2026
With at least a fragile peace in Iran, sentiment began tilting back toward the probability for a cut.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 8 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tilting
Verb
-
Surrounded by mature trees, dense greenery, and high walls, the grounds create a private, park-like idyll with sloping lawns, spacious terraces, and views toward the Hollywood Hills and Griffith Park Observatory, with a swimming pool at the center of the estate.—
Mark David,
Robb Report,
7 May 2026
-
Tyler Karu Design and Interiors set up comfortable seating that creates an indoor-outdoor feel built for lingering over a view of the sloping green lawn leading to the water.—
Cori Sears,
The Spruce,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Reaves battled a midseason left calf strain, and missed the end of the regular season and most of the first round of the playoffs with a left oblique strain.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
18 May 2026
-
Brice Matthews made the majority of his minor-league starts at second, but has become the team’s everyday center fielder while Jake Meyers recovers from an oblique injury.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Where Soap was straightforwardly in the realm of sitcom—leaning toward broad humor, underlined stylistically by the presence of a laugh track—Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman knew just how to strike that sweet spot between screw-loose absurdity and genuine pathos.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
These are among the proposals that a cohort of left-leaning congressional Democrats argue will help their party win back working-class voters in the midterm elections and set the stage for success in the 2028 presidential election.—
Riley Beggin,
Washington Post,
17 May 2026
Adjective
-
His sloped shoulders suggested bodily power that was sleepy and sly; his large head and dark, badly cut hair amplified the weight and solidity of him, but his lips were sensitive and a little slack, as if yearning for something he’d been long deprived of.—
Mary Gaitskill,
New Yorker,
22 Feb. 2026
-
The sloped, landscaped half-acre lot offers a terrace and a two-car garage.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Jonathan, at least, has been playing, angling for his enemies, and making some great moves.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
14 May 2026
-
Xi Jinping is angling to win a cold war with the United States.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
New data from payment platform Square reveals that tipping averages at full-service restaurants have started trending upward for the first time in four years.—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
15 May 2026
-
The visit, meant to establish stability after a decade of trade wars and acrimonious one-upmanship, instead highlighted how the balance of power is tipping away from Washington.—
Michael Schuman,
The Atlantic,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
The trim and inclining experiment is to confirm the centre of gravity of the submarine and is measured by naval architects in both surfaced and submerged conditions.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Outside a San Diego immigration court, a man, his mother, and his two daughters stand in a tight circle, inclining their heads toward a priest.—
Sophie Hills,
Christian Science Monitor,
30 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tilting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tilting. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
