LEVER Synonyms: 30 Similar and Opposite Words

lever 1 of 2

verb

Definition of lever

as in to pry

to raise, move, or pull apart with or as if with a lever the workers used crowbars to lever the heavy stone block into its new position

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

join
connect

lever

2 of 2

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 lever

Verb

The small, seemingly insignificant experience of controlling an automobile by clutching and levering its gears turned out to be deeply meaningful. — Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026 At one point, after Gabriel won a header by levering himself up on Haaland’s shoulders, the two grappled on the turf as the game continued around them. — Jack Lang, New York Times, 5 July 2026

Noun

Expanding The Ecosystem Finally, the fourth growth lever is expanding the ecosystem beyond the core event. — Tatiana Gouveia Nery Lindenberg, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 The gear selector, mounted on a lever on the right side of the steering wheel near the wiper controls rather than a traditional gear shift, took some getting used to. — Keith Laing, USA Today, 17 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lever

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lever

Verb

Pratt fouled off Thornton’s first pitch and then pulled back his bat on the second one, a fastball right down the middle.

— ABC News, ABC News, 26 Aug. 2026
Washington has turned to pulling economic levers six months into a war on Iran that has ground to a stalemate militarily, with peace talks stalled and most traffic through the crucial Strait of Hormuz blocked.

— Tucker Reals, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of pull

Noun

But before Bane can finish him off, Batman stabs a Batarang into a little knob on Bane’s wrist gauntlet, the one that controls his intake of Venom.

— Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026
All the mixes and all the pans and everything were all people operating the things, the pots, the knobs and things.

— Kyle Eustice, SPIN, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of knob

Verb

But the flood of money is also lifting stocks in tech, infrastructure, energy, and construction, delivering gains across generations.

— Jason Ma, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026
Latest drone footage from CCTV shows rescue workers using lifting equipment in an attempt to restore and rebuild a road by the turbulent currents and in between the towering mountains.

— Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of lift

Noun

By adding a few switches, an airport express train could weave between local trains and proceed nonstop between O’Hare and the Loop.

— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
Also, if the switch from side by side to one-front/one-back happened instantaneously, your brain would get confused about how to interpret the images delivered from each eye, since the setup would be quite different from what you were used to.

— Abigail Witmer, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of switch

Noun

Following the release of its new Tiffany Timer in January—a chronograph with an El Primero movement housed in a platinum case with a Tiffany Blue dial—the company is already dropping another iteration.

— Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 27 Aug. 2026
The Spring Drive seconds hand glides without interruption across the dial, quiet and uninterrupted.

— Anthony DeMarco, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of dial

Noun

That’s key for leadership positions but also for candidates who are pivoting careers or have employment gaps.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
The forecasting formula developed by Thomas is still kept under literal lock and key at the almanac’s headquarters in Dublin, New Hampshire, in an actual black box.

— HubSpot, HubSpot, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of key

Noun

The gear selector, mounted on a lever on the right side of the steering wheel near the wiper controls rather than a traditional gear shift, took some getting used to.

— Keith Laing, USA Today, 17 Aug. 2026
The car is fit with a four-speed Wilson pre-selector transmission.

— Howard Walker, Robb Report, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of selector

Browse Nearby Words

levels

lever

leverage

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Lever.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lever. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of lever

verb

noun

Example Sentences

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