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)
Verb
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Adam Wharton, 22, is liked by people at United for his progressive passing and decisiveness on the ball.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026 -
Newsom likes to talk about us as the fourth-biggest economy in the world.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Most people acclimate within a week or two and prefer it from there.—
Allison Palmer,
Sacbee.com,
21 Apr. 2026
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But the House has historically been reluctant to serve as the final arbiter of a lawmaker’s career, preferring to give that final say to the voters.—
Kevin Freking,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The campaign that year felt predictable — Obama was favored to win — but the political climate was sharpened by the Tea Party, a conservative grassroots movement within the Republican Party that sought to repeal Obamacare.—
Nataliya Gumenyuk,
The Dial,
21 Apr. 2026
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Switzerland was favored venue, and the stakes weren’t so high back then; the two countries weren’t at war and the global economy didn’t hang on control of the Strait of Hormuz.—
Nic Robertson,
CNN Money,
21 Apr. 2026
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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 24 Apr. 2026.
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