LEANINGS Synonyms: 91 Similar and Opposite Words

leanings

noun

plural of leaning

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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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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of leanings The brasserie has Provençal leanings evident in a few of the menu’s flourishes—crisp triangular panisses with a garlicky aioli, a pinky-peach sauce algérienne for dipping your fries. — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026 Some might not value the kinds of criticisms leveled by attorneys, while others are more interested in trying to discern a judge’s bias or political leanings. — Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 7 Oct. 2026 Heinrich is among the correspondents at Fox News — which this week will mark 30 years on the air — whose reporting doesn’t adhere to the leanings of its opinion hosts and commentators. — Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026 Supporters of the plan, led by the Swiss People's Party, which includes members with pro-Russia leanings, argued that the government had gravitated too close to the European Union and NATO, particularly over Russia's war in Ukraine. — Arkansas Online, 28 Sep. 2026 But, Barrera and Shaw, who registered the highest vote percentages in a crowded primary, have polar opposite political leanings and very different priorities for the state schools role. — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2026 Just look at Lily-Rose Depp and Charli XCX, who both incorporated the decade’s maximalist leanings into their wardrobes in authentic ways. — Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 17 Sep. 2026 States’ classroom lessons don’t always map neatly with their political leanings. — Jennifer Peltz, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2026 Cabrera’s abstract leanings, which differed from nationalist motifs then popular with Mexican muralists, drew her closer to the Generación de la Ruptura movement of artists, beginning in the 1950s. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 7 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for leanings

Noun

Good and bad tendencies overlap and swirl — the Gators, a new property every week.

— Noah White, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026
Shultz claims Holmes spotted Balwani’s abusive tendencies and clocked him as the perfect fall guy if things went south.

— Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of tendencies

Noun

And a lot of the time, people who have these kinds of inclinations towards children are people who were children who were abused themselves.

— CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2026
The trustees feared that if something happened to him, his heir apparent, Robert Kahn, would replace him, and it was known that Kahn had Zionistic inclinations.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of inclinations

Noun

For this class, the premise is that your purpose in life lies to the intersection of your values, your aptitudes and your interests.

— Dana Taylor, USA Today, 6 May 2026
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

Definition of aptitudes

Noun

The Grand Opera House’s overall architecture responds to the rhythm of the Huangpu River’s tides with a fluid and dynamic form.

— Wendy Wang, Architectural Digest, 22 Oct. 2026
The National Weather Service issued a coastal flood advisory Thursday as rain and king tides are forecast to soak South Florida.

— Miami Herald Staff Report, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of tides

Noun

Beyond Carrington and Vicuña’s stylistic affinities, Lehmann and Norris pointed out how the reception of the artists’ work has changed over the decades and that both have only been canonized relatively recently.

— Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
With its affinities for isolation and, at times, imposing scale, Land art conjures archaeology and the geological sublime—vast expanses of space and time.

— Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026