as in preferred
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 leaned (toward or towards)
Verb
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Hawaii favored piña coladas — fittingly — while Nevada preferred bloody marys.—
Alexis Simmerman,
Austin American Statesman,
24 Mar. 2026 -
Trade with the hinterland stopped as these coastal centers now preferred to trade with the Europeans.—
Noo Saro-Wiwa,
The Dial,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Suffice it to say, the man always liked books.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Mar. 2026
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There have been subsequent revelations of pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel posts Duwaji had shared and liked.—
Gloria Pazmino,
CNN Money,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Previously, the credibility that podcasters enjoyed stemmed from their opposition to mainstream media, and the low-tech and intimate videos reflected this.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
24 Mar. 2026
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Ver’s team enjoyed a remarkable ability to dictate terms.—
Avi Asher-Schapiro,
ProPublica,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Jews who were unaffiliated or who attended Reform synagogues largely favored the process, which created areas of limited Palestinian self-governance, whereas a majority of Orthodox Jews, who lean conservative, opposed it.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Asked about their preferred candidate in a 2028 GOP primary for president, 53% of those polled favored Vance and 35% favored Secretary of State Marco Rubio.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Leaned (toward or towards).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leaned%20%28toward%20or%20towards%29. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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