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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While England seems to have preferred Sporting Kansas City’s training site, it is not known why Tuchel would not consider the KC Current or Rock Chalk Park options for a base camp.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
8 Jan. 2026 -
Rubio understood what many preferred to ignore.—
Duncan S. DeMarsh,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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An article in Naval History described how Loomis liked to demonstrate the ship’s Colt machine guns to local officials.—
Nathan Hodge,
CNN Money,
10 Jan. 2026
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As Joseph tried to mesh some of his own system with a more Vic Fangio-style scheme run previously by Ejiro Evero in Denver — a style many of the returning players liked — the new coordinator found himself inside a burning defensive building.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Shapiro has enjoyed robust public approval ratings and carries a reputation as a disciplined messenger and powerhouse fundraiser.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
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Yates subsequently joined the San Diego Padres and enjoyed the longest sustained success of his career before bouncing to Atlanta, Texas and the Dodgers over the past three seasons.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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And the world’s favored by a safety.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
13 Jan. 2026
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Carter was a Sunday-school teacher in the Southern Baptist Convention, a denomination that had favored Republican candidates since 1948, but almost 60 percent of which went for Carter in the ’76 election.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 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 15 Jan. 2026.
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