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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lean (toward or towards)
  1. like
  2. prefer
  3. favor
Verb
  • Russell likes to position the ponytail at the crown with the direction of the hair running parallel to the cheekbones.
    — Marci Robin, Allure, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Why people don’t like it Some residents are worried about how these sprawling energy farms will affect local soil, especially near farmland.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of like
Verb
  • Bateman has no need for bios, preferring to work off the script alone.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Like every other automaker, Defender and JLR are navigating a commercial environment that seems to prefer all-electric vehicles, or hybrids, or internal combustion engine cars, depending on the month or even day.
    — Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of prefer
Verb
  • Trump’s reliance on billionaire advisers and policies favoring large investors collide with his promise to lower everyday costs, as public approval of his economic stewardship sinks to 32% ahead of midterms.
    — Thomas Beaumont, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The year has also favored quality stocks inside the small-cap universe.
    — Darla Mercado, CFP®, CNBC, 17 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 21 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of rigmarole

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All