lean over
phrasal verb·1 sense·particle over
Meanings
Tip the upper body over something
Why “over”? Someone or something crosses a space or obstacle from one side to the other.
“He leaned over to whisper.”
“Maya leaned over the balcony to look down.”
Don't confuse with
Lean over means tip the upper body over something. Lean on means pressure someone strongly to do something.
Test yourself
“He leaned over to whisper.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
lean on
A contrast learners often mix up
Pressure someone strongly to do something
climb over
Same over pattern: arc
Cross by climbing the obstacle
cross over
Same over pattern: arc
Move from one side to the other
get over
Same over pattern: arc
Recover from an illness or upset; Overcome a difficulty; Cross to the other side of an obstacle; Manage to finish something difficult
go over
Same over pattern: arc
Move from this side to the other; Examine or review something carefully; Be received in a particular way by an audience; Move to visit someone's house; Change to a different side, system or position; Use more time or money than a limit
hop over
Same over pattern: arc
Cross with a small jump
jump over
Same over pattern: arc
Cross with a leap
leap over
Same over pattern: arc
Cross with a powerful jump
Sink In — iOS & Android
Practice “lean over” in Sink In
Drill “lean over” and 1,300+ other phrasal verbs with spaced repetition, organised by the particle patterns that connect them.
- Learn the pattern behind dozens of verbs at once — not one-off translations.
- Spaced repetition (SM-2) brings each meaning back right before you forget.
- Four practice modes train recall and discrimination, not just recognition.
