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
  • Lamb liked to link play, although City also had plenty of joy down the flanks.
    — Rob Tanner, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • As for the journalist, with the anniversary comes reflection on the first responders, those who lost their lives and others who like him, are still living with the consequences.
    — Ralphie Aversa, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of like
Verb
  • Looking at his pizza chart from last season, Mbaye’s low cross volume (five out of 99) but high link-up play (86 out of 99) suggest an inside forward who prefers to combine neatly with team-mates before attacking the box.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Vanhée often calls on artists, preferring to draw inspiration from IRL, cross-disciplinary exchange.
    — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of prefer
Verb
  • The survey found that voters favored a generic Democratic candidate for Congress over a Republican 46% to 40%, but the Democratic advantage expanded to 11 points among those who definitely plan to vote.
    — Zac Anderson, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Seyfried has favored Miu Miu for her 2026 Venice Film Festival appearances.
    — Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 6 Sep. 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 14 Sep. 2026.

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