toward

preposition

to·ward | \ ˈtō-ərd

, ˈtȯ(-ə)rd

variants: or towards \ ˈtō-ərd(z)

, ˈtȯ(-ə)rd(z) , tə-ˈwȯrd(z) , ˈtwȯrd(z) \

Definition of toward

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : in the direction of driving toward town

2a : along a course leading to a long stride toward disarmament

b : in relation to an attitude toward life

3a : at a point in the direction of : near a cottage somewhere up toward the lake

b : in such a position as to be in the direction of your back was toward me

4 : not long before toward the end of the afternoon

5a : in the way of help or assistance in did all he could toward raising campaign funds

b : for the partial payment of proceeds go toward the establishment of a scholarship

toward

adjective

to·ward | \ ˈtō-ərd

, ˈtȯ(-ə)rd

Definition of toward (Entry 2 of 2)

1 or less commonly towards \ ˈtō-ərdz , ˈtȯ(-ə)rdz \ [ Middle English towardes, from Old English tōweardes, preposition, toward, from tōweard, adjective ]

a : coming soon : imminent

b : happening at the moment : afoot

2a obsolete : quick to learn : apt

b : propitious, favoring a toward breeze

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about toward

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Examples of toward in a Sentence

Preposition

The bus is heading toward town. She took a step toward the door. They live out towards the edge of town. We're thinking of taking a vacation towards the end of the month. Efforts toward peace have been largely unsuccessful.

Recent Examples on the Web: Preposition

Freedom Is a Full Head of Steam In the mid-1970s, the U.S. was moving toward its bicentennial. — Tom Bentley, Popular Mechanics, "Why the SP 4449 Is Such a Badass Train," 15 July 2019 Seniors Rachel Schneider and Briana Bush were awarded with scholarship certificates and $1,000 toward tuition. — Shiela Johnson, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, "North Carroll: Scholarships awarded to local students; National Night Out upcoming in Hampstead, Manchester," 15 July 2019 Trump’s derision toward someone who came to the States as a child refugee is perhaps not surprising given how so many migrant children have suffered under his administration. — Lucy Diavolo, Teen Vogue, "Donald Trump’s Racist Tweets Prove the Power of AOC, Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib, and Ilhan Omar's Squad," 15 July 2019 That statistic is only part of a larger shift toward synthetic fabrics that has been gaining steam for the past two decades. — William Thornton | Wthornton@al.com, al.com, "Alabama cotton figures in crop’s resurgence," 15 July 2019 The Good Friday Agreement was signed after a long, painful midwifery, nominally ending a conflict that claimed more than 3,000 lives and set Northern Ireland on a path toward peace. — Eamon Lynch, azcentral, "Open Championship at Portrush may be the only thing Northern Ireland can agree on," 15 July 2019 It's since been downgraded from a category 1 hurricane to a tropical depression, but the storm's remnants are still moving through the Southeast — and making their way toward Kentucky. — Lucas Aulbach, The Courier-Journal, "When you can expect Hurricane Barry's aftermath to hit Louisville," 15 July 2019 People are not likely to gush to you about how wonderful your ex-husband was (the gushing is generally not directed toward former spouses). — Amy Dickinson, Anchorage Daily News, "Ask Amy: Wronged ex-wife struggles with memorial service," 15 July 2019 There is already evidence that e-commerce consumers may be able to be gently pushed toward less harmful choices. — Lydia Depillis, CNN, "America's addiction to absurdly fast shipping has a hidden cost," 15 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'toward.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.