lean in

verb

leaned in; leaning in; leans in

intransitive verb

: to persevere in spite of risk or difficulty

Then there's the racial justice crisis and making sure that we are leaning in during this time of recovery and crisis into the very important conversations around diversity and inclusion.

—Laura Fuentes, quoted in Washington (D.C.) Business Journal

Attending college began as a time of "leaning in," because it took courage to attend a large campus without much parental support and no friends attending with me.

—Sue Nokes

Examples of lean in in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In its lightest version, the color leans in the direction of gray, revealing itself as a pale blue-violet. —Alice Nardiotti, Vogue, 15 Mar. 2025

Levi’s is leaning in with two things that very few fashion brands can match — 172 years worth of history and a tie-up with Beyoncé Knowles-Carter to bring it to life. —Evan Clark, WWD, 14 Mar. 2025

Instead of avoiding tension, teams should lean in—transforming friction into fuel for growth. —Kwame Christian, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025

Charlotte leaned in next to her little brother only for excitable Louis to suddenly turn, accidentally leading to a clash of heads. —Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

2001, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for lean in

• renin
• carrageenan
• catenin