le·ver·age
ˈle-və-rij 
ˈlē-;
ˈlev-rij,
ˈlēv-
1
: the action of a lever or the mechanical advantage gained by it
2
: power, effectiveness
trying to gain more political leverage
3
: the use of credit to enhance one's speculative capacity
leveraged; leveraging
1
: to provide (something, such as a corporation) or supplement (something, such as money) with leverage
also
: to enhance as if by supplying with financial leverage
2
: to use for gain : exploit
shamelessly leverage the system to their advantage—
Alexander Wolff
Alexander WolffSynonyms
Examples of leverage in a Sentence
Noun
The union's size gave it leverage in the labor contract negotiations.
The player's popularity has given him a great deal of leverage with the owners of the team.
I used the leverage of the bar and a wooden block to pry the rock out of the hole.
Verb
The company wants to leverage its brands more effectively.
a reality show contestant who's trying to leverage her 15 minutes of fame
Recent Examples on the WebEric Jackson, Sportico.com, 23 Oct. 2024
That leverage figure is still on the high side for the sector but down from 6.1 times at the end of the prior quarter.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2024
Niraj Kaushik, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
Through the app, brands can create giveaway marketing campaigns with unsold inventory, distributing invite codes directly or through social platforms and influencers, or leverage Giftd’s in-app data to target new customers.
—Rhonda Richford, WWD, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for leverage 
Noun
Her leverage is further extended with alternative leagues like Unrivaled and Athletes Unlimited available.
—Eric Jackson, Sportico.com, 23 Oct. 2024
That leverage figure is still on the high side for the sector but down from 6.1 times at the end of the prior quarter.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2024
Verb
The basic premise of an SDV environment is to have a standard hardware and software architecture that can be leveraged across different vehicle programs, with software defining the feature availability to differentiate vehicles and brands.
—Niraj Kaushik, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
Through the app, brands can create giveaway marketing campaigns with unsold inventory, distributing invite codes directly or through social platforms and influencers, or leverage Giftd’s in-app data to target new customers.
—Rhonda Richford, WWD, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for leverage
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'leverage.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near leverage
Cite this Entry
“Leverage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leverage. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
leverage
1 of 2 noun
le·ver·age
ˈle-vrij, -və-rij
: the use of credit to enhance one's speculative capacity
leverage
2 of 2 transitive verb
leveraged; leveraging
: to provide (as a corporation) or supplement (as money) with leverage
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