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
-
That unspoken skillset tends to get rewarded over actual results in some cultures.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
Verb
-
Much of Gaza's population of over 2 million relies on aid after widespread destruction of agriculture as well as a recent Israeli blockade.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 June 2025
-
In Florida alone, more than 4 million residents rely on them to purchase insurance.—
Brewster Bevis,
The Orlando Sentinel,
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
-
Stand! had been so encouraging and inviting, and so committed to angling toward a brighter future by embracing freedom and unity in the moment, that anything less than another clarion call for peace and justice would scan as disappointment.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
12 June 2025
-
With the bill’s privacy provisions, the cameras will only capture photos of the back of vehicles and angled away from pedestrians.—
Tina Li,
Sacbee.com,
11 June 2025
Verb
-
Clients depend on Snowflake for data storage and management through its cloud platform.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
-
Now, her survival depends on trusting a sympathetic police officer (Teyana Taylor) and a soothing friend (Sherri Shepherd).—
Rebecca Aizin,
People.com,
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
-
The images show ultra-fine bright and dark stripes (called striations) in the thin, gaseous layer of the sun's atmosphere known as the photosphere, according to a statement from the National Solar Observatory (NSO), which operates the solar telescope.—
Samantha Mathewson,
Space.com,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lean.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lean. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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