lean on
Britishverb
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Also: lean upon. to depend on for advice, support, etc
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informal to exert pressure on (someone), as by threats or intimidation
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Rely on, depend on, as in He's leaning on me for help . [Mid-1400s]
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Exert pressure on one, especially to obtain something or make one do something against his or her will. For example, The gangsters were leaning on local storekeepers to pay them protection money . [ Colloquial ; mid-1900s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Serving breakfast instead of lunch allows the restaurant to lean on cheaper items like eggs and potatoes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Tuchel has spoken often about the "brotherhood" within the camp - they've had to lean on that connection in recent days.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
We have a medical advisor, a technical advisor, on set at all times, and so I lean on them heavily.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
In this respect, the site of El Sidrón, in northern Spain, provides a particularly strong basis which we can lean on.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 7, 2026
She looks like she could use someone to lean on right now.
From "The Sky at Our Feet" by Nadia Hashimi
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
