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
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.
Actors abound, allowing guests to lean in and take on an active role. Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026 Only four seats out of 28 — District 10, in Central Florida, and Districts 23, 20 and 24 in South Florida — would lean in favor of Democrats, according to the draft proposal confirmed by the governor’s office. Romy Ellenbogen, Miami Herald, 27 Apr. 2026 This affectionate boy adores people, thrives on human attention and will happily lean in for pets, snuggles or just to be close. Maryanne Dell, Oc Register, 25 Apr. 2026 The video featured candid clips of the family, including Louis leaning in close to the camera lens. Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lean in

Word History

First Known Use

2001, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lean in was in 2001

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Cite this Entry

“Lean in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lean%20in. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

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