LEAVENS Synonyms: 37 Similar and Opposite Words

leavens

verb

present tense third-person singular of leaven

as in enlivens

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for leavens

Verb

In her college days, Livia’s gift enlivens her nimble fingertips so that can take on the toughest of compositions.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
Matt Reeves’ film is also on the dour side, without the genre-mixing playfulness that enlivens its predecessor and sequel.

— Jesse Hassenger, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of enlivens

Verb

The drama that animates Mud is a Sisyphean one, and Wolf casts herself as agent of her own embarrassment and woe.

— Enzo Escober, Pitchfork, 9 Oct. 2026
Its legacy animates both movements seeking greater inclusion and campaigns promising to restore a national unity defined in racial or cultural terms.

— Faisal Devji, Time, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of animates

Verb

The flick follows an elder antique trader who dredges up a 500-year-old artifact that invigorates him with youth but has the unfortunate side effect of turning him into a vampire.

— Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
O’Farrell once again invigorates the historical novel, probing characters stretched to the limit by forces beyond their control.

— Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026

Definition of invigorates

Verb

But the latter’s crisply executed harmonies are but one of multiple examples of what splendid singing suffuses this production.

— Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, 23 May 2026
Announcing its hardcore aspirations with a moody steel-blue palette that suffuses the rural setting with dread, the film takes place almost entirely on a remote cow farm, the home of a mixed-race family of three.

— Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 22 May 2026

Definition of suffuses

Verb

Verticillium inoculates hosts by entering root tips or other areas of root formation, breaking through exterior layers to reach the vascular tissue inside.

— Emily Leahy, Hartford Courant, 7 Sep. 2026
Instead, the committee said young children should receive one vaccine for chickenpox and a different shot known as MMR that inoculates against measles, mumps and rubella.

— Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 24 Sep. 2025

Definition of inoculates

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.

Browse Nearby Words

leavening

leavens

leave off

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Leavens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leavens. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of leavens

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Luddite

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes