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lean

Definition for lean

adjective as in bare, thin

Strongest matches

angular, gangly, gaunt, lanky, rangy, sinewy, skinny, slender, slim, sparse, svelte, wiry

Strong matches

barren, emaciated, haggard, poor, scanty, shadow, spare, stick, stilt, wasted, worn

Weak matches

beanpole, bony, gangling, inadequate, infertile, lank, meager, no fat, pitiful, rawboned, scraggy, scrawny, stringy, sylphlike, twiggy, unfruitful, unproductive, wizened

verb as in bend, angle toward

Strongest matches

bow, drift, incline, nod, prop, recline, slant, tilt, tip, twist, veer

Strong matches

beetle, cant, careen, curve, decline, deflect, dip, divert, droop, heel, jut, list, overhang, pitch, place, repose, rest, roll, sag, sheer, sink, slope, turn

Weak matches

be off, be slanted, fasten on, hang on, put weight on, rest on

verb as in be disposed

Strongest matches

incline, prefer, tend

Strong matches

Weak matches

be prone, be willing, gravitate toward, have propensity, not mind

verb as in count, depend on

Strong matches

confide, rely, trust

Weak matches

bank on, believe in, bet bottom dollar, bet on, gamble on, have faith, hinge on, lay money on, put faith in

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He leaned on old ski poles with a blue washcloth safety-pinned to the back of his ball cap.

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The company has reshaped its portfolio, cutting underperforming products while launching new ones that lean into current trends on health and wellness.

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Team staffers leaned out of team cars to take photographs.

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Lost without her pop-star persona, Victoria leaned into the role of supportive wife.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

It can also lean on the bully pulpit, issuing public statements, or launch a defect investigation, which can take months to complete and possibly lead to a recall.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

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From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.

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