There is a synergistic relationship between the mechanical strength (stiffness and toughness) of plant leaves and their drought resistance, which is an important strategy for plants to adapt to environment. Research on the interplay between the mechanical strength and drought resistance of plant leaves aids in understanding and predicting the responses and adaptive strategies of terrestrial plants to climate change. However, due to the lack of systematic research on the driving factors of this synergistic relationship, there is a lack of in-depth understanding of the physiological and ecological mechanisms of plant adaptation to drought. In this paper, leaf mechanical structure, drought resistance and related anatomical or physiological traits driving the relationship were analyzed, leaf mechanical structure and drought resistance were summarized, to clarify the anatomical basis of the synergistic relationship between drought resistance and anatomical or physiological traits, so as to provide reference for the future study of plant mechanical traits and drought resistance strategies. Among them, cell wall thickness, expansion pressure loss point (Ψ_tlp) and main vein length (VLA_maj) play important roles in regulating the balance between leaf mechanical strength and drought tolerance, 1) a thicker cell wall not only reduces the risk of shrinkage and collapse after loss of cell bulging, but also protects the leaf from the reduction of extraductal water transport capacity caused by cell shrinkage, therefore, the plant leaves have strong drought resistance; 2) the transport of water in vascular bundle of leaf vein has the risk of being destroyed by embolism under drought, and the larger length of main vein per unit area (VLA_maj) can provide an additional way to supply water to mesophyll; 3) thicker cell wall and higher VLA_maj help to increase the mechanical strength of leaves. In summary, although water deficit in arid habitats reduce the leaf photosynthetic rate, leaves with high mechanical strength and drought tolerance extend their lifespan to ensure that leaves maintain essential gas exchange and positive carbon gain in harsh habitats. It shows that coupling high mechanical resistance with drought tolerance is advantageous for plants in water-limited habitats. The research on plant stress resistance under global climate change is promising, and this study also emphasizes the need for future research to synergistically explore drought tolerance in plants by taking into account the mechanical characteristics of the plant in conjunction with its functional characteristics and physiological factors, such as osmoregulatory capacity and water buffering capacity. This could provide guidance on synergistic strategies of drought tolerance in plants in the future.