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

Relevance

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 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 It was reinforced by Washington’s alliance with Pakistan and its engagement with China during the Cold War, India’s socialist leanings in the decades after its independence, in 1947, and New Delhi’s close relationship with the Soviet Union. — C. Raja Mohan, Foreign Affairs, 27 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for leanings

Noun

Maybe the shooting shook something loose in her and has amplified her worst tendencies.

— Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2026
These are broad tendencies, however, and do not guarantee how an individual storm or hurricane season will unfold.

— Gregory Padgett, CBS News, 16 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

Netflix has lost more than 40% of its value since June 2025 amid concerns about engagement trends and a lack of breakout hits.

— Jeff Marks, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
In addition to El Niño, regional climate trends over the past 15 years show a clear signal toward warmer winters across Lower Michigan.

— Ahmad Bajjey, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of trends

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

Recent storms and king tides have raised concerns in the community as to the integrity of the seawall.

— Lauren Pozen, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
The king tides came knocking Then, in August, came the first big king tide that sent punishing waves slamming into houses along the boardwalk.

— Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 13 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

Definition of affinities

Noun

Metal forks are stored handles downward and plastic forks are positioned both directions for patron self service.

— NWA Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
For another, turning my head just sent the view spinning in different directions in a way that quickly threatened nausea.

— Tim Stevens, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026