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

Even so, a portion of the Catalan football fanbase would rather follow others at the tournament — with Argentina, because of Lionel Messi’s links with Barca, a popular choice. — Laia Cervelló Herrero, New York Times, 2 July 2026

The brothers bonded over the game, but in his work, Grant so frequently provided a microphone for the voices a powerful organization would rather hush. — Sam McDowell 1, Kansas City Star, 1 July 2026

Skunks would rather put up with the strong scent of mothballs than leave a hospitable environment, making mothballs totally ineffective against skunks. — Michelle Mastro, The Spruce, 1 July 2026

Peptides are an almost entirely cash-pay drug economy, and Visa, Mastercard and Stripe would rather not service it. — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

Rhymes for would rather

• gather
• lather