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.
That helps explain why Chinese malls and shopping districts increasingly lean on pop-ups, exhibitions, and themed retail to turn online enthusiasm into offline foot traffic.
From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026
Michigan didn’t just lean on their talent advantage.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026
Senior Gabriela Jaquez, who has played all four of her college seasons at UCLA, shared a similar perspective about how Close has learned to lean on her players.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026
Many good coffee cake recipes lean on sour cream, which lends a pleasing density and richness to the batter.
From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026
In each archway a windowsill at waist height was broad enough to lean on, and below them the pantiled roof ran down in a gentle slope all around to the gutter.
From "The Subtle Knife" by Philip Pullman
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.
