1
as in kindness
an act of kind assistance
a good and generous friend who is always doing favors for others
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in respect
a feeling of great approval and liking
entertainers often learn that the favor of the public can be fickle indeed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in approval
an acceptance of something as satisfactory
over the years that kind of movie fell out of favor with the mass audience
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in bias
an attitude that always favors one way of feeling or acting especially without considering any other possibilities
although his own son is on the hockey team that he coaches, Mr. Watkins conscientiously avoids any show of favor
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in liking
positive regard for something
was willing to do just about anything to keep the boss's favor
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in popularity
the state of enjoying widespread approval
after that rock band fell out of favor—almost overnight—the stores couldn't give their CDs away
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to appease
to do a service or favor for
although she was at the party as a guest, the singer favored us with a song
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to accept
to have a favorable opinion of
if this measure will reduce our property taxes, then I favor it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to prefer
to show partiality toward
older moviegoers tend to favor films that have certain extras—like a plot and developed characters
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to gift
to furnish freely or naturally with some power, quality, or attribute
favored with good looks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of favor
ABC News, 3 June 2026
As younger audiences pull back from online dating in favor of live events and real cultural moments, there has been a surge of interest in concepts from these creators.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 3 June 2026
Sarita Gupta, Time, 2 June 2026
Walker-Yeager is alleging that the court is illegally favoring the prosecution in the case by not sanctioning the state for not submitting that information earlier.
—Sofi Zeman
june 2, Kansas City Star, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for favor
Noun
There has been bipartisan sentiment in favor of updating the law.
—ABC News, 3 June 2026
As younger audiences pull back from online dating in favor of live events and real cultural moments, there has been a surge of interest in concepts from these creators.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 3 June 2026
Verb
Our tax code shouldn’t favor buying software over hiring people.
—Sarita Gupta, Time, 2 June 2026
Walker-Yeager is alleging that the court is illegally favoring the prosecution in the case by not sanctioning the state for not submitting that information earlier.
—Sofi Zeman
june 2, Kansas City Star, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for favor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for favor
Noun
-
This seemingly random act of kindness is not without strings, as DeMille alludes to working together more in the future.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
-
Watching together gives parents a chance to support kids in thinking critically about social dynamics and how to respond with kindness and courage.—
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal,
Parents,
5 June 2026
Noun
-
That nod to Towns is with all due respect to Jalen Brunson, who has lived up to the Captain Clutch nickname in two straight games.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
9 June 2026
-
Americans, the historian Louis Hartz argued, embraced a common liberal tradition, built around a respect for democracy, property, and individual liberty.—
Yoni Appelbaum,
The Atlantic,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
The optional add-on service will not guarantee visa approvals, and the State Department will name which missions offer it before launch, with any extension hinging on traveler demand.—
Matthew Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
-
Yes votes for Measure ER, which only needs 50% of the vote plus one for approval, have slowly gained day after day as more ballots — and in particular, ballots from Election Day or later — were counted.—
Steve Scauzillo,
Daily News,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
The growing use of facial recognition has broadened concerns about accuracy and bias.—
Vijayan Asari,
The Conversation,
2 June 2026
-
Research highlighted by Harvard Business Review found that workplace bias frequently shapes how women’s competence and authority are perceived throughout their careers.—
Kelly Ehlers,
Rolling Stone,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
When everything is cooked to your liking, toss in some optional fresh spinach and shredded cheese.—
Lauren Panoff,
Verywell Health,
2 June 2026
-
Unsurprisingly, Makenna has taken a liking to the game that defined her mother’s upbringing.—
Gabby Herzig,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
The same crowd booed when council members mentioned the growing popularity of artificial intelligence.—
Mary Ramsey
Updated June 8,
Charlotte Observer,
9 June 2026
-
Pressure around aging, physical changes from perimenopause and menopause and the increasing popularity of GLP-1s all play a role.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
The compromise would help appease hundreds of residents who complained at a five-hour public hearing Wednesday night about those cuts and some other proposals, including plans to eliminate the Office of Child and Youth Success.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 May 2026
-
The survey is the latest to show Trump has failed to appease voters’ economic concerns, with his disapproval rating on the economy increasing seven points, to 56%, since this time last year, though his approval rating has improved by one point, to 38%.—
Sara Dorn,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
The Justice Department hasn’t formed the five-member commission that will decide on payout criteria, so there has been no money paid out yet or claims accepted.—
Michael Kunzelman,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
-
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Missouri lawmakers slashed funding for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library free book program from $6 million to $2 million, meaning the state will no longer accept new children into the literacy program starting July 1.—
Ian Cummings,
Kansas City Star,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Favor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/favor. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
