lean (toward or towards)

verb

Definition of lean (toward or towards)next
as in to like
to show partiality toward I'm leaning toward sausage on our pizza tonight—we got pepperoni the last three times

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lean (toward or towards)
  1. like
  2. prefer
  3. favor
Verb
  • Across both the 2026 and 2025 studies, participants still liked the spicier versions of each food.
    — Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 July 2026
  • Landscape painters liked the Connecticut River, and Nebel’s mentor, James Earle Fraser, designer of the Buffalo nickel and a lot of other Americana, had settled in Westport, building himself a custom studio.
    — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 30 July 2026
Definition of like
Verb
  • Periwinkle prefers a temperate climate and needs a soil with a good amount of compost.
    — Mallory Carra, The Spruce, 3 Aug. 2026
  • These dragonflies live near bodies of water, preferring those with calm currents, like ponds, wetlands, or slow-moving streams.
    — Rachel Sargent Mirus, Hartford Courant, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of prefer
Verb
  • Consulting and academic contexts still favor frameworks with a single quantifiable maximand.
    — Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Batting was tricky on Day 1 when the pitch favored the slow bowlers.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of favor
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.

Browse Nearby Words

lean-tos
lean (toward or towards)
leap
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lean (toward or towards).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lean%20%28toward%20or%20towards%29. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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