would rather

phrase

—used to indicate what one wants or prefers to do, have, etc.

She would rather drive than take the train.

I would rather you didn't tell them.

"If you'd rather, we can go outside." "No, thanks—I'd rather not."

Which beach would you rather go to?

Examples of would rather in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

While there are plenty of people that would rather see Kirby Smart just take care of his team, there has to be those willing to speak up on the current issues hurting college athletics. — Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 21 July 2026

Often, home insurance companies would rather repair it than replace it. — Alora Bopray, USA Today, 21 July 2026

Others would rather have an alcohol-free drink that feels equally deliberate. — Noel Burgess, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

Argentina’s opponents would rather Messi hadn’t enlisted an Italian nutritionist in 2014. — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 July 2026

Rhymes for would rather

• gather
• lather