How to use lever in a sentence

40 example sentences · noun, verb, adverb

Lever means a rigid piece which is capable of turning about one point, or axis (fulcrum), and in which are two or more other points where forces are applied; — used for transmitting and modifying force and motion. Example: “With great effort and a big crowbar I managed to lever the beam off the floor.”

Examples of lever by meaning

nounSpecifically, a bar of metal, wood or other rigid substance, used to exert a pressure, or sustain a weight, at one...

The steps, which are under the control of the guard, are operated by hand levers in the entrance vestibule.1952 September, “Modernised Pull-and-Push Trains”, in Railway Magazine, page 617

nounA bar, as a capstan bar, applied to a rotatory piece to turn it.

A doorknob of whatever roundish shape is effectively a continuum of levers, with the axis of the latching mechanism—known as the spindle—being the fulcrum about which the turning takes place.2012 March, Henry Petroski, “Opening Doors”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, pages 112–3

verbTo move with a lever.

With great effort and a big crowbar I managed to lever the beam off the floor.
Someone found a pick and levered a burst plank out of the floor, and in a few minutes we had got a fire alight and our drenched clothes were steaming.1938 April, George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], chapter VII, in Homage to Catalonia, London: Secker & Warburg, →OCLC

verbTo use, operate or move (something) like a lever (physically).

Sullen now, with stultified spleen, Mrs Dibble grappled her crutches and levered herself upright after an ungainly struggle.1950, Norman Lindsay, Dust or Polish?, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, page 150
Suddenly he had levered himself up from the sofa, rocking the lame man violently, and was walking towards the receptionist.1961, V. S. Naipaul, A House for Mr Biswas, Vintage International, published 2001, Part Two, Chapter 1
She levered him off the front stoop and into the bushes, then stood up on the tips of her toes to peer through the window in the door.2023 October 12, HarryBlank, “Fire in the Hole”, in SCP Foundation, archived from the original on 22 May 2024

verbTo use (something) like a lever (in an abstract sense).

He was a man who levered his way from small-time communist hack to political power by tapping into the most potent vein of historical juice in the Balkans: nationalism.2001 April 9, Joshua Cooper Ramo, “Bagging the Butcher”, in Time
Credited with pioneering the detective novel, Collins has attracted many biographers over the years, drawn to his extraordinary life and work in the hope of levering open a new understanding of the Victorian psyche.2013 December 8, Robert McCrum, “Biographies of the year — review”, in The Guardian

verbTo increase the share of debt in the capitalization of a business.

"The equity holders want you to 'lever up,' use as much debt as you can," said David Stanley, chairman of Kansas City-based Payless Cashways,1989 June 26, “Corporate America wants its privacy”, in Minneapolis Star-Tribune

nounA levee.

Louis XIV’s day began with a lever at 9 and ended (officially) at around midnight.2011 September 21, Tim Blanning, “The reinvention of the night”, in Times Literary Supplement

More sentences with lever

The lab rat was programmed to press the lever when the bell rang.From the entry program
I pull up the lever when I want to make my car go into first gear.From the entry pull up
This deluxe machine features anodized aluminum handles on all adjusting levers.From the entry anodized
The lever sticks if you push it too far up.From the entry stick
It is possible to flick food across the table using your fork as a lever and your finger as a fulcrum.From the entry fulcrum
He released his grasp on the lever.From the entry release
Depression of the lever starts the machine.From the entry depression
Depress the upper lever to start the machine.From the entry depress
Although an operator presses the button, the actuation is done by an immense series of levers and cranks.From the entry actuation
The podger is used for levering wedges and pins as required.2017, Glenn Costin, Construction Skills. From the entry podger
The system operates in conjunction with a lever on the tracks.2012, Andrew Martin, Underground Overground: A passenger's history of the Tube, Profile Books, →ISBN, pages 136–137. From the entry tripcock
The goat's foot lever is about the length of my forearm and as wide as the stock.2011, G. E. M. Thomas, Strong Roads a Spanish Shipwreck Survivor in Ancient Hawaii, G E M Thomas, →ISBN, page 155. From the entry goat's foot
Olds and Milner constructed new experiments that allowed the rats to press a lever.2009, Pat Williams, Jim Denney, What Are You Living For?: Investing Your Life in What Matter's Most, Gospel Light Publications, page 86. From the entry pleasure oneself
Each time the lever was pressed, an electric current stimulated the pleasure centers of the rats' brains.2009, Pat Williams, Jim Denney, What Are You Living For?: Investing Your Life in What Matter's Most, Gospel Light Publications, page 86. From the entry pleasure oneself
This is the essence of the beast and the lever of control.2009 March 27, Mr.Smartypants, “Usuary (sic) of the Zionists”, in can.politics (Usenet). From the entry Samson Option
She tried to pull a lever for the mainstream candidate and it wouldn't work.2007, Mark Crispin Miller, Fooled Again. From the entry pull a lever
These will all be submerged beneath the question of which causal levers are optimific.2001, Will Kymlicka, Contemporary Political Philosophy, Oxford University Press, page 26. From the entry optimific
Pull the lever to turn the Moon Rune bridge around so you can get the Moon Rune.2000, Mel Odom, Draconus: Cult of the Wyrm official strategy guide. From the entry moon rune
This will prevent missed gears when you stomp the shift lever in a panic to regain power.1976 June, Russ Darnell, “Pro Techniques for Off-road Riding”, in Bob Atkinson, editor, Cycle World, volume 15, number 1, New York, N.Y.…. From the entry wheelie
Tighten screw to permit a very slight overshift of lever to rear.1971, Chilton's Auto Repair Manual, 1940-1953, page 624. From the entry overshift
One lever controls directionals, the two-speed wipers, headlight flasher and windshield schpritzer.1966, Popular Mechanics, volume 125, number 1, page 230. From the entry schpritzer
External doors: mortice latch-locks, anodized anodium lever handles and 4 in. steel butts.1963, Great Britain Ministry of Education, Youth Club: Withywood Bristol, page 59. From the entry anodium
An automatic unclipper may be used to lift the clamping lever of Smallman clips.1959, John Sinclair, Winding and Transport in Mines, page 335. From the entry unclipper
White Vitreous china swelled front low down tank with underpull lever.1918, Sweet's Architectural Catalog File, page 839. From the entry underpull
Old plastic control switches, gearknobs and steering column levers sometimes end up in very poor condition, or are missing altogether.2017, Enthusiast's Restauration Manual Series, How to Restore Classic Car Interiors: Repair • Restoration • Maintenance, →ISBN, page 128. From the entry gearknob
The suggestion was to medialise the centre of rotation in order to increase the lever arm of the deltoid.2015 August 13, Shah Jehan, Magid Eltayeb, Mohammad Muddassir Mahmood Javaid, “Delta Reverse Polarity Shoulder Replacement: Single Surgeon…. From the entry medialise
If you are spot one you should push down on the first lever on the boomerang to load frame one.2013, John Holloway, Illustrated Theatre Production Guide, page 144. From the entry boomerang
Applying a force tangential to the knob is essentially equivalent to applying one perpendicular to a radial line defining the lever.2012 March, Henry Petroski, “Opening Doors”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, pages 112–3. From the entry perpendicular
As he moved the handles the two tiny levers opened and shut like the mandibles of a Picasso crab.2012, Michael Gilbert, Sky High, →ISBN, page 183. From the entry jigger

Meaning of lever

noun A rigid piece which is capable of turning about one point, or axis (fulcrum), and in which are two or more other points where forces are applied; — used for transmitting and modifying force and motion.
noun Specifically, a bar of metal, wood or other rigid substance, used to exert a pressure, or sustain a weight, at one point of its length, by receiving a force or power at a second, and turning at a third on a fixed point called a fulcrum. It is usually named as the first of the six mechanical powers, and is of three kinds, according as either the fulcrum F, the weight W, or the power P, respectively, is situated between the other two, as in the figures.
noun A small such piece to trigger or control a mechanical device (like a switch or a button).

Full definition of lever

Questions about lever in a sentence

How do you use lever in a sentence?: Lever is used as a noun, verb and adverb. For example: “With great effort and a big crowbar I managed to lever the beam off the floor.”
What is a short sentence with lever?: “Depression of the lever starts the machine.”
What does lever mean?: Lever means a rigid piece which is capable of turning about one point, or axis (fulcrum), and in which are two or more other points where forces are applied; — used for transmitting and modifying force and motion.

Adapted from Wiktionary: lever (page history and authors) and the entries each sentence comes from. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws chose the sentences, left out offensive ones and quotations older than 1900, and marked the word in each. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Cite this page: “How to use lever in a sentence.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/sentences/lever. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.