1
as in tendencies
a prevailing or general movement or inclination
the news media are often accused of having liberal leanings
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in inclinations
a habitual attraction to some activity or thing
despite what his athletic leanings might suggest, he was actually a very lazy kid
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of leanings
Espina is also open about his personal political leanings—and his personal ambitions.
—
Graciela Mochkofsky, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Two Republicans currently lead the governor's race in recent polls, despite the state's liberal leanings, as a large number of Democrats led by Swalwell split the vote.
—Perry Stein The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 29 Mar. 2026
The London-via-Paris jazz artist embraces her neo-soul leanings and experimental impulses on an EP that explores the pleasures and perils of gassing yourself up.
—Lily Goldberg, Pitchfork, 19 Mar. 2026
That nothing is known or stated about this particular President is another intentional gap; while the Commander-in-chief’s party leanings have always had radical impact on domestic policy, the Middle East tends to be bombed regardless of who’s in charge (albeit to different degrees).
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 15 Mar. 2026
Glimpses of some political leanings came in 2011 and 2020 interviews with La Garganta Poderosa, an Argentine magazine on the left.
—ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026
On October 14, the Bureau sent the assistant attorney general an eight-paragraph précis of the poet’s life, work, and political leanings.
—Literary Hub, 5 Mar. 2026
Their political leanings aligned, both on the left.
—Gerald Witt, AJC.com, 1 Mar. 2026
Every corporate decision is now scrutinized under a public lens, as customers, the government, and the general public debate and dissect the political leanings of a leader or firm.
—Emily Lang, Harvard Business Review, 26 Feb. 2026
Graciela Mochkofsky, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Two Republicans currently lead the governor's race in recent polls, despite the state's liberal leanings, as a large number of Democrats led by Swalwell split the vote.
—Perry Stein The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 29 Mar. 2026
The London-via-Paris jazz artist embraces her neo-soul leanings and experimental impulses on an EP that explores the pleasures and perils of gassing yourself up.
—Lily Goldberg, Pitchfork, 19 Mar. 2026
That nothing is known or stated about this particular President is another intentional gap; while the Commander-in-chief’s party leanings have always had radical impact on domestic policy, the Middle East tends to be bombed regardless of who’s in charge (albeit to different degrees).
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 15 Mar. 2026
Glimpses of some political leanings came in 2011 and 2020 interviews with La Garganta Poderosa, an Argentine magazine on the left.
—ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026
On October 14, the Bureau sent the assistant attorney general an eight-paragraph précis of the poet’s life, work, and political leanings.
—Literary Hub, 5 Mar. 2026
Their political leanings aligned, both on the left.
—Gerald Witt, AJC.com, 1 Mar. 2026
Every corporate decision is now scrutinized under a public lens, as customers, the government, and the general public debate and dissect the political leanings of a leader or firm.
—Emily Lang, Harvard Business Review, 26 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leanings
Noun
-
Five patterns surfaced again and again—not as hard rules, but as common tendencies among people for whom reading is not a hobby so much as a way of moving through the world.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Genetics linked to a breed help shape common behavioral tendencies, though individual dogs may vary.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This is the standard for ramp inclinations that are usable for most people, especially wheelchair users.—
K. Desbouis,
Artforum,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Trump’s inclinations to make every race about him could foul this for the GOP.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
That would flip two trends — growing footprints and skyrocketing prices — in one piece of legislation.—
Mark Dee
March 28,
Idaho Statesman,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Stacey Lastoe is a freelance journalist covering wellness and luxury travel, food and drink, hotels, travel trends and news, and more.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This model reflects Japan’s long-standing corporate culture, which prioritizes new hires for their general potential—their aptitudes and aspirations, as opposed to their current skill sets or university majors—and then trains them on the job.—
GRACIA LIU-FARRER,
Foreign Affairs,
18 Nov. 2025
-
More money is apt to make homeschooling worse and far less tailored to the individual student and their interests and aptitudes by encouraging parents to substitute pricey group programs for the requisite effort of individualized instruction.—
Marie Sapirie,
Forbes.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The Baltic Sea lacks strong tides that could have freed the whale.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
But by March 2018, the tides had clearly shifted; although Republican midterm primary voters only saw slight decreases from 2014, Democrats surged from just 10,500 votes in the 2014 governor primary to nearly 60,000, a rise that was seen down ballot as well.—
Joseph States,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The caveat is jurors and audiences at home are not allowed to vote for their own country; geopolitical affinities or rivalries often supersede talent.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Players have to create teams that exploit a boss’ weakness in order to defeat them, and that means building up characters that have the right elemental affinities.—
Gieson Cacho,
Mercury News,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Low-impact dyes, softer fabrications, and slub-character fabrics are among the key directions denim mills are pursuing for Fall/Winter 2027–2028.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
31 Mar. 2026
-
To tackle this issue, the new design boasts two sets of compressor blades rotating in opposite directions.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Leanings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leanings. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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