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

These old folks would rather be short than long, and their short sales (which are bets that the stocks will go down lower) are part of the fuel that makes owning at least some of these a must. — Jim Cramer, Contributor, CNBC, 16 July 2026

There’s an old meme about how straight men would rather do literally anything—get really into Civil War reenactments; punch a side of beef, then run up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art; close the Strait of Hormuz—than go to therapy. — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 14 July 2026

So if the destination is far enough, this mechanical bird would rather climb out, fly over, and dive back in later – the same logic that makes a person choose to walk around the edge of a lake instead of wading through waist-deep water. — New Atlas, 13 July 2026

Instead of solving our state's challenges, Governor McKee would rather exploit a crisis for political gain. — Katherine Gregg, The Providence Journal, 10 July 2026

Rhymes for would rather

• gather
• lather