1
as in to tilt
to set or cause to be at an angle
just lean the ladder against the tree and climb up it
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in skinny
having a noticeably small amount of body fat
all of the marathoners are extremely lean
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in slope
the degree to which something rises up from a position level with the horizon
the wall has enough of a lean that we can't set a bookcase against it
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lean
EW.com, 11 June 2025
Do not lean forward or swing your leg for momentum.
—Aubrey Bailey, Verywell Health, 11 June 2025
ArsTechnica, 11 June 2025
With a lean, specialized team and a portfolio that spans Los Angeles’s ultra-luxury market, Resident Group debuts as the No. 6 large team in the U.S. and the No. 4 large team in California in 2024, as well as the No. 2 large team in Los Angeles.
—Kirsten Chuba, HollywoodReporter, 10 June 2025
Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 8 Apr. 2025
That’s the only measurable that hasn’t gone away from their previous lean toward the prototype.
—Joe Buscaglia, The Athletic, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lean
Verb
Hurley, wearing a cowboy hat, sports a radiant smile as the couple leans against an old wooden fence in the middle of what appears to be an open field, not unlike the one seen in Hurley's new post.
—EW.com, 11 June 2025
Do not lean forward or swing your leg for momentum.
—Aubrey Bailey, Verywell Health, 11 June 2025
Adjective
The fundamental premise behind Northwood is that a bottleneck constrains the ability to bring down data from space and that a lean, new-space approach can disrupt the existing industry.
—ArsTechnica, 11 June 2025
With a lean, specialized team and a portfolio that spans Los Angeles’s ultra-luxury market, Resident Group debuts as the No. 6 large team in the U.S. and the No. 4 large team in California in 2024, as well as the No. 2 large team in Los Angeles.
—Kirsten Chuba, HollywoodReporter, 10 June 2025
Noun
Republicans have 220 seats to Democrats' 213, and the special election would most likely install a new Democrat in the seat, given the district's Democratic lean, cutting back on the GOP majority.
—Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 8 Apr. 2025
That’s the only measurable that hasn’t gone away from their previous lean toward the prototype.
—Joe Buscaglia, The Athletic, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lean
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lean
Verb
-
Without the capacity to tilt and rotate, umbrellas need to be physically relocated to adjust to the changing angles of incoming sunlight.—
Sandi Schwartz,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 June 2025
-
Solar Orbiter is the first to tilt out of this zone.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2025
Verb
-
Rainwater tends to stockpile on the edges of roads.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
14 June 2025
-
While gas prices tend to rise mildly during the warmer months as people begin their summer vacations, everything has changed since Israel’s stunning strikes on Iran – an attack that Tehran has vowed to respond to.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
13 June 2025
Verb
-
In Florida alone, more than 4 million residents rely on them to purchase insurance.—
Brewster Bevis,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 June 2025
-
The acquisition is an enormous upgrade—both quantitatively and qualitatively—for the country’s air force, which hitherto relied on just over a dozen aged MiG-29 Fulcrum fighters and subsonic Su-25 Frogfoot attack planes.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
8 June 2025
Adjective
-
Note skinnier carrots will cook faster than thicker ones.—
Katlyn Moncada,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 June 2025
-
Quarterback Zach Wilson had a nice throw to tight end Jalin Conyers on a skinny post in 7-on-7s.—
Chris Perkins,
Sun Sentinel,
3 June 2025
Noun
-
Across the Cotswolds, darling villages like Painswick and Tetbury sit among green slopes, each one a jumble of honeystone cottages housing dreamy inns, shops selling antiques or books, and award-winning restaurants like Lygon Arms and the Woolpack Inn, Slad.—
Danielle Hallock,
AFAR Media,
5 June 2025
-
But this week was an undeniable success, those slopes causing damage, those greens forcing balls to fly from end to end.—
Brody Miller,
New York Times,
1 June 2025
Verb
-
In the years since, Stovall has enjoyed great success angling.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
28 May 2025
-
With two on and no outs, Yamamoto raced off the mound to field a bunt that first baseman Freddie Freeman misread, anticipating Cleveland second baseman Will Wilson to angle the ball up the third-base line.—
Jack Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2025
Verb
-
Clients depend on Snowflake for data storage and management through its cloud platform.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
-
A lot of the market is waiting for a resolution here because other project sales depend on it.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
6 June 2025
Adjective
-
The water pressure then causes the vehicle to rise and slide on a thin layer of water between the tires and the road, making the driver lose control.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
7 June 2025
-
For hours when her mother was at work at the accounting office, Lin crouched by the side of the thin stream, watching the fish.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lean.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lean. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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